One Lonely Night
by kitchmill
Summary: Alone on her birthday, Bella goes out looking for something new. Could a chance encounter with Edward lead to more than she ever imagined in her life? Originally a O/S. Now complete.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N 4/29/13: I am working my way through this story and re-editing the chapters. Nothing about the plot will change. This was my first story and I just want to get rid of some of the rookie mistakes.**

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. This disclaimer applies to all chapters.

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**One Lonely Night**

My fingers drummed lazily on the wood of the bar next to me. I glanced around the restaurant once again, then back to my half full glass of red wine. It had only been ten minutes, and already I was wondering if I had made the right decision by coming here tonight. My best friend Alice had assured me that I needed to go out tonight, and I tried to never bet against Alice and her nearly psychic abilities.

"I feel like there's something amazing waiting for you, Bella," she had said last night after apologizing yet again for not being able to go out with me on my twenty-fifth birthday.

I had asked her where I was supposed to go and what I was supposed to do by myself, but she just shrugged and told me that I would figure it out.

I thought about it all day while working at home. As an editor, I rarely went into the office because it was so much easier to do my job in the quiet of my own studio apartment. When I finished the project that I had been working on and emailed it back to my boss, I shut down my laptop and made my way into my closet, still wondering where I was going to go and how I was going to get the courage to go out on my own.

As I stripped out of my comfy yoga pants and tank top, an idea hit me. I thought of the hibachi restaurant two blocks from my apartment and decided that if I went there, I could be a little less alone. The restaurant mostly had tables for six, and seated groups of less than that together to fill as many seats as possible. I figured I could be seated with a few young couples, or maybe a family, instead of sitting alone all night. A brilliant idea if I ever had one, but now as I sat by the bar waiting to be seated, I had already run out of things to do.

I had grabbed a navy blue blouse and my favorite black skinny jeans. At 5' 4" the jeans gave me the appearance of longer legs. Black ballet flats completed the outfit. I ran a brush through my long brown hair and watched the waves bounce over my shoulders. My brown eyes reflected back at me in the mirror, showing my loneliness.

Before leaving the apartment, I had looked over the birthday cards from my parents once more, smiling at how typical they were. My mother was living in Phoenix with her new husband, and as scatterbrained as she was, I was surprised that she had even remembered to send a card. Renee's card was a silly one, with a note telling me how much she missed me.

My father still lives in Forks, a small town located a few hours from my Seattle apartment, and is known as a man of few words. Charlie's generic card was postmarked yesterday and arrived with today's mail. It was simply signed, "Dad."

I didn't have a boyfriend to buy me a thoughtful gift or take me out for a special evening. In fact, I hadn't had a boyfriend since my senior year of high school. And, I don't even think three dates with your dad's best friend's son really even counts as a boyfriend.

The restaurant was large but intimate. The lights were low, creating a romantic setting amidst the active environment. My shoe flopped off and on the heel of my right foot as my impatience and discomfort grew. I quietly toasted to myself with my wine to whatever future awaited this next year of my life. A small sigh escaped me as I resigned to the fact that it would likely be no more exciting than the last year.

The hostess saved me from myself after only a few minutes of reflection. She quietly showed me to a table where a family of four had been seated.

Leaving the extra seat between myself and the family, I enjoyed the easy interaction of the parents and the two young girls. The blond mother sitting close to me gave a small smile while reaching her hand toward me over the grill. "I'm Carmen," she stated simply. "I hope my daughters won't be too much trouble for you and your date."

I took her hand for a quick shake and put on my best forced smile. "I'm alone tonight, and I hope I won't be intruding on your family dinner."

"Nonsense, we're happy to have more company. These are my daughters, Kate and Irina," she said gesturing to the beautiful blond girls who appeared to be about eight and ten. "And this is my husband, Eleazar."

Eleazar quickly stood from his seat opposite me and walked around the table to shake my hand. "My name is Bella," I added as he approached.

"So nice to meet you, Bella," he said with a polite smile before returning to his seat.

A waitress came by to take the family's drink orders, while I continued to sip my wine. I planned to limit myself to only one more glass during dinner in order to keep my wits about me, even though the walk back to my apartment was short. I smiled to myself thinking about the bottle of wine in my refrigerator, waiting for me at home. My celebration would not end early tonight.

Carmen and Eleazar continued to make small talk while we waited for their drinks to be delivered. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the hostess approaching our table over Carmen's shoulder. My heart skipped a beat as the hostess moved toward me and I saw the most beautiful man I had ever seen in my twenty-five years trailing behind her.

My breath caught as I took in the gentleman approaching our table. Below a mess of bronze hair sat a chiseled jaw, strong nose and a slightly timid smile, but what captivated me were the bright, piercing green eyes. For a brief moment, our eyes met and I quickly looked at Carmen to attempt to hide my ogling. Nerves took over and forced my eyes to look into my suddenly captivating glass of red wine to avoid getting lost in this stranger's gaze. Both of my hands held the stem of my glass in an attempt to keep me from looking at the beautiful specimen.

Clearly, this man could not be joining our table, seeing as there was only one seat available. Someone as entrancing as he is would not be alone on a Friday night.

Still staring into my wine, I felt a sudden shift in the temperature of the room that wasn't coming from the grill in front of me. A warmth enveloped me from my left just as the chair beside me ground against the tile floor. Eyes still glued to my glass, a strong hand with long fingers came into my peripheral on the table. My mind flashed to having that hand gently but firmly caressing my hip and up the side of my ribcage. I felt my face flush with embarrassment at my thoughts and could do nothing but take another sip of wine to calm myself.

I was still reeling at the closeness and heat of this stranger as I tuned out everything else around me. It wasn't until a throat cleared and I felt a jolt of electricity in my left arm that I broke out of my thoughts.

Startled, I turned to see this Adonis withdrawing his hand from my arm with an apologetic look on his face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." His velvet voice seemed concerned. "Carmen was just introducing everyone, seeing as we will be spending the evening together. I'm Edward," he continued as he held out his hand.

"Bella," I squeaked out, barely able to get control of my voice. I reached over with my right hand to take his, and another jolt of electricity flowed as our fingers gently touched. It was far from an unpleasant sensation. My eyes were locked on where our hands were joined, my smaller hand engulfed by his larger one. My breathing picked up as I realized that he held my hand a few moments longer than was customary, and I finally lifted my eyes to his face. Our eyes locked and confusion set in on Edward's face.

As if suddenly recognizing the awkwardness of our embrace, Edward cleared his throat and quickly dropped my hand. I immediately felt the loss of that spark. I nervously looked around the table to see if anyone had noticed the exchange, but only found Carmen and Eleazar tending to their daughters. My hands instinctively wrapped back around my glass as a lifeline, to what I didn't know.

Once again, I became lost in my thoughts, wondering why a man such as the gorgeous specimen beside me would be alone on a Friday night. As if reading my mind, Edward nervously asked, "So, Bella, what is such a beautiful woman as you doing alone on a Friday night?"

Beautiful? Did the God-incarnate himself just call me beautiful? Surely he is poking fun at my loneliness. I quickly tried to come up with an answer that wouldn't sound pathetic, but my lack of verbal filter took over as I blurted out, "I didn't want to sit home alone on my birthday."

Immediately, I wished I could take back those words. For once, I wished I had listened to some of Alice's fashion advice, because surely a little makeup tonight would have helped cover the blush that I felt creeping over my cheeks. Trying to save myself some embarrassment, I retorted with, "And why are you alone this evening, Edward?"

Edward glanced around, sensing my discomfort. For the few moments it took for him to respond, I figured I must have been a bit too sarcastic. Great, what might have been a nice evening was now going to be uncomfortable. I may as well have stayed home, seeing that I was now all but alone at the table anyway.

But Edward surprised me when he quietly answered. "Um, I just moved to Seattle a few days ago. I've been eating take-out every day and haven't finished unpacking my kitchen yet, so I thought I'd treat myself to a real meal tonight," he said with a crooked smile. "I figured a hibachi restaurant wouldn't feel as lonely as going anywhere else."

"Hmm, I know what you mean," I replied under my breath.

"So, today is your birthday?" Edward continued confidently. "Seeing as you are now my only friend in Seattle, we should celebrate." The crooked smile reappeared and for a moment I was lost in it. I gave him a small smile back and looked into his green eyes which held a note of sincerity. We'll see, I thought to myself. I'm sure that by the end of dinner he'll be wondering why he tried to call me his friend. Most days I still didn't understand why Alice was friends with me. We had completely different personalities, Alice being outgoing and fun, while I was shy and reserved. I guess there was some sort of balance between us.

Realizing that Edward was actually waiting for me to respond, I simply said, "Sure, that sounds great."

Just then, the waitress walked over to Edward and asked him what he would like to drink. I could see the hunger in her eyes when she looked at him and leaned in to bring her large breasts closer to his face. A seemingly oblivious Edward looked over to me and said, "Actually, I don't think I'm staying."

All of the air left me in a rush and I internally chastised myself for having driven this gorgeous and intriguing man away so quickly. Hadn't he just said that we should celebrate? Why would I have even gotten my hopes up, I thought as I looked back at the remains of my red wine.

"Bella?" he questioned. I desperately tried not to look at his beauty, which would only cause me further pain. "Would you like to get out of here and go somewhere a little more quiet?"

We were making our way through the door of the hibachi restaurant before I even registered that I had given him an answer and was actually on my way to spend the evening with Edward. "There's an Italian restaurant just a block over that I've been eyeing since I moved in. Have you ever been to La Bella Italia?" he asked. "I've been dying to try it."

"No, I haven't been there," I responded with my verbal filter thankfully in place. He didn't need to know that I rarely got out, and had never really had a date.

Walking slowly down the street in the warm September air, Edward started an easy conversation wondering how long I had lived in Seattle. As we reached the restaurant, I had just finished explaining that I moved to Seattle for school at the University of Washington and stayed there after graduation.

The hostess greeted us and showed us to a table near the back of the restaurant. I caught her eyeing Edward and licking her lips, but he appeared to be ignorant of the attention he drew. I was thrilled when he thanked the hostess without even looking at her and made his way over to pull out my chair for me. Instead of sitting across from me, he chose the chair on my left and I felt the now familiar heat of his proximity when he sat.

I picked up my menu when the nerves set in, but decided I should take some initiative. "So, what brings you to Seattle?" I figured that was an easy place to start.

Edward looked up from his menu to look at me as he spoke. "I was looking to start over." Great, now I felt as if my simple question was the worst one I could have asked. Edward's pause was only momentary before he continued. "I grew up in Chicago, went to college there, and then started working out of my apartment. Even though I had friends and family around, I always had this feeling that something was missing. A few weeks ago I decided that I just needed to be somewhere else. To see what was outside of my comfort zone." That's something I certainly understood. "I don't really know what brought me to Seattle, but it seemed as good a place as any to take a chance. I can work from anywhere, so it didn't really matter where I ended up. I guess most people would have picked someplace warm and tropical though." He chuckled a bit and looked back to his menu.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't mean for that to be such a personal question."

"It's not a big deal. I don't know anyone in Seattle, so you really are my first friend here. For some reason, I feel very comfortable with you." Another beautiful smile graced his face.

My cheeks flushed again and I dropped my gaze into my menu to hide the embarrassment. If only he knew just how comfortable I felt with him, he'd probably be running back to Chicago on the next flight.

Saved by the waitress, who came to take our drink orders and tell us about the specials, I requested a Coke and Edward scowled. "It's your birthday. We need to celebrate. If you're worried about driving, I'll gladly pay for a cab so we can enjoy ourselves tonight," he whispered close to my ear.

I looked into his captivating eyes once again and could deny him nothing. I quickly changed my drink order to Chardonnay, while Edward ordered a beer for himself and once again flashed his crooked smile at me. I know my limits though, and driving or not I was not planning to get drunk tonight in the company of a man that I had just met.

We both busied ourselves with the menu for a few minutes while we waited for our drinks to be delivered. When the waitress returned with our drinks, I ordered the mushroom ravioli and Edward ordered chicken parmesan.

With no menus to distract us, Edward once again broke the tension asking more about me. I told him that I worked from home as an editor and in my free time I enjoyed reading and writing. Edward explained that he was a freelance computer programmer. He said his only real hobby is music, listening to it, playing it and composing it.

"What instruments do you play?"

Edward looked sheepish as he answered. "Um, piano, guitar, violin and drums. I could only bring my guitars and violin to Seattle for now though." Wow, I wonder if he'd ever let me hear him play something. One of his own compositions, maybe?

"Do you sing?"

"Yes."

Cue dreamy sigh. The thought of his velvety voice singing while he played the guitar was igniting a fire throughout my entire body. Thankfully I was saved by the waitress returning with our food.

While the waitress placed our plates in front of us, I gave myself an internal pep talk. Eat slowly, no clumsiness tonight. This cream sauce will NOT look good dripped down the front of my blue blouse.

Edward began cutting his chicken while I speared a piece of ravioli on my fork. The second it was in my mouth, I could not hold back the small moan that escaped my lips. Edward's eyes flashed to my mouth in a heated look that I didn't recognize. When his eyes rose to mine, I could feel my body heating once more. The fire in his eyes sent a shiver through my body.

I continued chewing my food while looking Edward in the eye. After what seemed like an eternity, he cleared his throat and looked down at his plate to continue cutting his food. I stabbed another bite of ravioli and watched as Edward brought the first forkful of chicken parmesan up to his mouth. I couldn't draw my eyes away from the way his lips wrapped around the fork, and I imagined what they would feel like pressed against me. They looked soft but strong and I felt my mouth go dry as liquid was diverted to other parts of me. He hummed in pleasure at his food and I licked my lips as I watched his strong jaw moving. I took a sip of my wine to try to calm my lusty body.

"This is delicious," Edward sighed. "Would you like to try a bite?" I could only nod my head in answer, afraid of my voice failing me.

As I reached over with my fork, I realized that Edward already had a mouthful on his fork and was bringing it toward my lips. Our eyes met once again as I opened my mouth and let him feed me. The food was delicious, but not as delicious as the look in his deep, green eyes.

I offered him a bite of my ravioli in return, which he accepted and ate off my fork. I could watch him eat every day and never get enough of the sensual look on his face as he accepted the food into his mouth.

We fell into easy conversation as we both returned to our own plates. Favorite authors, musicians and family being the main topics of conversation. When Edward spoke of his mother, Esme, I could see the love in his eyes and hear the respect in his voice. His parents sounded like wonderful role models with a great marriage, which brought me a bit of sadness since I didn't have that growing up. He told me stories of his brother, Emmett pulling pranks on him and his father, Carlisle. I couldn't help but wonder why someone who seemed so close to his loving family would pick up and move to be alone.

I shared a little about my parents, how they had divorced when I was young and I spent time with both my mom and dad until I turned seventeen and went to live with my dad to finish high school so my mom could travel with her new husband. Even though Charlie was just a few hours away I didn't see him often.

Finally, Edward steered the conversation back to what I was dreading. "Why were you spending your birthday alone?"

I decided that honesty was the best option at this point. Edward was either going to like me for who I was, or he wouldn't. "I've never been big on birthdays, and my friends know that. My best friend was busy tonight. I normally would have just stayed home, but somehow I let Alice convince me to go out by myself tonight.

"I still can't believe I agreed to have dinner with you after knowing you for about a minute," I added with a blush. "I'm usually pretty shy, and this really isn't like me at all."

"I appreciate your honesty," Edward said. "And I have to tell you that this is completely out of my character also. This may sound forward, but the moment I saw you I just felt like I had to get to know you." Edward timidly reached over and took my hand in his. I felt the electricity flow through me again at his touch. I looked into his eyes while our hands were joined and I could see the sincerity. My mind was doing flips at where this might lead.

The waitress reappeared to clear our plates and asked if we would like any dessert or coffee. Edward looked to me, and I shook my head. He thanked her and asked for the check. I realized my mistake a minute too late. Dinner was now over, but I didn't want my time with Edward to end.

As if sensing my concern, Edward began rubbing his thumb across the back of my hand in a soothing gesture. "I really don't want to end the evening yet, Bella," he said quietly. "My apartment is only a block from here, but if you're not comfortable joining me there then maybe we could find someplace else to go for a drink?"

And then my mind was really spinning. Could he possibly feel the same attraction that I felt? Did he really want to get to know me better? Offering the option of staying out in public for my benefit was such a sweet thing to do. But did I want that? I knew I wanted to get to know Edward better. Thinking back to my reason for going out by myself tonight, I realized I knew all along what my answer would be. I took a chance by going out tonight, expecting nothing but hoping for something. Something wonderful was sitting right next to me, asking me to go to his apartment.

Was I scared? Definitely. Was this outside of my comfort zone? Absolutely. Was I going to take the chance anyway? I don't think wild horses could have held me back.

I had no idea how long I sat pondering Edward's question. He looked a bit nervous waiting for my answer, but he hadn't let go of my hand yet. My decision made, I gave a gentle squeeze to his hand as I looked him in the eye. Confidently, I replied, "I would really like to join you in your apartment." He seemed to let out a relieved sigh.

The waitress brought our check, and I tried to pay for my share but Edward wouldn't have it. "Obviously, I didn't get you anything for your birthday," he said with a smile. "The least I can do is take you out for dinner."

The nerves started to set in while Edward paid the bill. I knew where this could lead, I mean I'm twenty-five, not a teenager. Clearly we hadn't gotten to the topic of sexual history, or in my case, lack of sexual history, during dinner. How would Edward feel when he realized I was a fumbling virgin? I knew how I felt about it. I was a virgin out of circumstances, not by choice. I wasn't saving myself for that someone special or my wedding night. I would probably be relieved to get that first time out of the way, but I worried that my lack of experience would cause Edward to run for the hills. I certainly didn't want him to think I was going to be some needy, clingy woman just because he took my virginity … assuming he was even that interested.

Edward finished with the bill and raised his beer. "To new beginnings," he toasted. I raised my wine glass and tapped it against his beer with a smile. We both took a last sip of our drinks before Edward reached for my hand again and said, "Shall we?"

We walked the short distance to Edward's apartment in comfortable silence, my hand clasped in his in a relaxing manner. Edward released my hand when we reached his building so he could unlock the door and I followed him up the stairs to the second floor. He unlocked his door and opened it, gesturing me to go in first.

I took a few steps in and looked around, noting the few boxes that were scattered throughout the spacious living room, although the place looked mostly tidy. Not at all what I expected from a young bachelor. No pizza boxes or dirty dishes left on the coffee table. The carpet was a warm beige with cream colored walls. There was a large, brown couch that looked extremely fluffy and inviting, and a matching oversized chair to the side. Across from the couch was a large entertainment center with a flat screen TV, and a stylish wooden coffee table in between.

Edward placed his keys on an entry table near the door. "Can I get you a drink? I have a bottle of white wine and some beer, or iced tea or water if you prefer."

"I'll have a beer," I answered.

"Make yourself comfortable," Edward said gesturing to the couch as he walked over to the open kitchen and grabbed two beer bottles out of the refrigerator. I could see that there were a few more boxes in the kitchen than there were in the living room. I took a seat on the end of the couch, fidgeting with my hands and tapping my toes inside my shoe when I didn't know what else to do.

Edward returned with the beers already opened and handed one to me while placing his on the coffee table. He looked a bit nervous as he said, "I'll put on some music." He turned to the stereo and plugged in his cell phone, scrolling through his music until some soft, classical music filled the room.

I took a sip from my beer and placed it on the coffee table when Edward came over and sat next to me on the couch. His proximity once again caused my body to flood with heat and I took a deep breath to calm myself. His delicious scent assaulted my senses as I breathed in. He didn't smell like cologne, it was more a natural aroma of man and spice. I let out the ragged breath and tried to regain my composure.

Edward looked at me with an intensity in his eyes, and I could only imagine that my responding gaze was similar.

"Edward …"

"Bella …"

We both started at the same time, and then chuckled at the situation.

"Go ahead," I told him.

"I don't want you to think that I brought you here because I expect anything. I mean, I feel this connection with you, a spark when I hold your hand, and comfort when you're near me," he continued nervously. "I really want to get to know you more, and where ever this goes or doesn't go tonight is ok with me. I just wanted to get that out there so you don't feel any pressure or anything."

My mind was reeling at the fact that he felt the same connection, the same spark. Not that I had many experiences to compare with, but there was something about him. Something in the way he looked at me that made me feel like I was home. Something in the feel of his hand in mine that made me feel alive.

"Edward, I need to be really honest with you. I need to get this out there and then we can figure out what comes next." As uncomfortable as it was to discuss this, I knew I needed to be upfront about my history, or lack of it. Although it seemed like he was willing to take things slow, if I scared him off it may as well be now instead of after my heart was fully involved. And, I didn't really want to take this slow, but again I thought that he may put too much meaning into taking my virginity. I needed him to be comfortable with the situation.

Edward looked at me with thoughtful eyes. "Before you go on, I just want to try one thing," he said as his tongue snuck out to lick his lips. He leaned closer to me across the couch, his right hand slowly coming up to cup my cheek in a gentle embrace. My body was on fire at his light touch. Leaning closer still, his eyes never left mine. My heart beat faster as my body moved on its own accord, helping to close the distance between us.

Edward's lips found mine in a feather-light kiss. Every nerve in my body sparked at the touch and I felt the increased pressure of Edward's mouth. His tongue swiped across my bottom lip as his hand moved from my cheek to the back of my neck and into my hair, anchoring our embrace. I willingly opened my mouth to accept his tongue, and welcomed it with my own. His strong lips were surprisingly gentle, moving almost gracefully. As our tongues swirled and lips moved together as if made for each other, my hands found their way behind his neck and into his bronze hair.

A soft moan escaped Edward as my hands gently tugged at his hair, letting me know he was enjoying this as much as I was. I felt moisture flood between my legs from his touch and sounds. He reluctantly ended the kiss with a chaste one and pulled back a bit to look me in the eyes again. "I'm sorry," he said. "I've wanted to kiss you since we were at the hibachi restaurant, and I really couldn't wait anymore."

I think that was the best first kiss in the history of first kisses; even better than my imagination had conjured up earlier.

My breathing was still ragged when he nodded to me, letting me know he was ready to listen to what I had to say.

What did I want to say again?

I took a moment to gather myself before I started. "Wow, um …" I looked up to see Edward with a beautiful crooked smile playing across his face. "I don't really know where to start. I'm sorry if I start to babble." I fidgeted with my hands in my lap. "I'm sure you've figured out by now that I'm a bit shy. I mean, I'm still surprised that I accepted your invitation to dinner, let alone to come back to your apartment. I haven't dated much, and I don't have much experience," I said simply, hoping that Edward would understand my meaning without having to spell it out. "But I also feel this connection that you feel. Something drew me to you from the second you held my hand when we met and I'd very much like to see where this takes us."

I sighed at having gotten that much out. Seeing that Edward was still smiling gave me courage to continue. "I'm hoping that you're not going to run scared just because I'm a virgin …" My cheeks instantly heated up as the words fell from my mouth. It seemed that I left my verbal filter at the restaurant. I quickly looked to Edward for a reaction while I stammered to cover my faux pas. "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

Edward just chuckled and stopped me from wringing my hands by taking hold of one of them. "I told you that I'm willing to take this as slow as you want," he said sincerely, again rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand. His touch was so calming.

"But that's the problem. I don't feel like I want to take this slow," I mumbled to my lap. This is the part where I expected running, or kicking out seeing as how we were in his apartment and not mine.

I felt Edward's other hand at my chin, gently nudging my face up to meet his eyes. "Bella, I don't _want_ to take this slow, either. And I'm not running scared," he said gently, still looking deep into my eyes. Releasing my chin he asked, "Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?" I shook my head. "Then would you like to dance with me?" he asked as he stood up, still holding my hand.

I allowed him to lead me up and around the side of the coffee table, where he wrapped his right arm around my waist and pulled me close, leaving our clasped hands close to his chest. He began to softly sway to the music as I let my head rest on his chest and I drank in his scent. He lowered his head to nuzzle in my neck and his warm breath sent shivers throughout my body.

"You smell wonderful." His words caressed my ear before he placed a small kiss just below my lobe. My pulse was racing, and I was sure he could feel how much he affected me.

Our bodies were still moving to the soft music when I leaned back to be able to see his face. The look of adoration in his eyes left me breathless. I leaned in and captured his lips with mine, not caring if I seemed desperate or needy. Because I was needy. I needed to feel him. His lips, his strong hands, his body pressed up against mine.

Edward returned my kiss with his own eagerness. As our lips and tongues moved together, the hand around my waist drew me closer while his other hand caressed the back of my head. I took the opportunity to feel his broad, strong shoulders beneath my fingers until my hands found their way back into his soft hair. I let out a moan as the intensity of our kiss grew, which seemed to urge Edward on. His hands began to wander, up from my waist and down from my head until they matched on either side of my ribs. The fire inside of me continued to grow as his hands became familiar with my body.

Our bodies pressing together caused butterflies in my stomach, with the buzz of excitement concentrated low in my groin. I could feel his hardness pressed up against my abdomen and I began to imagine what it would feel like inside of me. Wetness again pooled in my underwear at the thought of it. Edward eventually broke our kiss when we were both breathless, but his mouth continued to explore. He lavished hot, open mouth kisses on my jaw, my neck, my collarbone. My hands began to move as if possessed, feeling his chiseled chest, then lower to explore the ripples in his abs which set off a low groan from his chest.

For once in my life, I allowed myself to stop thinking and start feeling. I let my body do what felt right. My fingers moved up and began unbuttoning Edward's dress shirt and I planted my lips repeatedly on the skin that became exposed. When I reached the last button, I looked up into his eyes as I ran my hands over his shoulders and arms, pushing the shirt to the floor. The beauty of his naked torso sent another wave of pleasure through my body, while the look in his eyes made me hungry for more of him.

Edward's lips met mine once again in a searing kiss. I felt his arms snake around my waist as he leaned down and placed his hands on my ass. He didn't break the kiss as he firmly lifted me up and my legs instinctively wrapped around his waist. Our lips remained locked as he made his way across the living room and down a short hall, finally into his bedroom. I ground my body against his as he moved, seeking friction in the place where I needed it most. Gently, he lowered us both to the bed before pulling his lips from mine.

His right hand caressed my forehead and cheek, brushing some of my long hair out of my face. With his thumb still rubbing my cheek and his fingers in my hair, he stared intensely into my eyes. "You are so beautiful." I gasped at the emotion in his voice. "Please, tell me you want this as much as I do," he pleaded.

"I want you, Edward." I had never been more sure of anything in my life.

With that, Edward poured all of his passion into our kiss. Our frenzied hands explored each others' bodies as we let the passion take over. Edward unbuttoned my blouse and placed reverent kisses on my neck and shoulders. With my blouse open, he looked at my pale skin and black lace bra, then back into my eyes. "Beautiful," he whispered.

He cupped one breast through the lace and pulled the bra cup down off of my other breast. His hands gently kneaded my flesh, causing shivers of pleasure to rock through my body. The moment his mouth touched my exposed breast, I let out a gasp and arched into his touch while a fresh pool of wetness gathered between my legs. I flicked the bra open and pushed the blouse and bra off while Edward's eyes devoured my naked flesh. He continued with his hands and mouth while my fingernails scratched at his scalp and across his broad shoulders.

He began to move his hot kisses down my torso, across my ribs, over my stomach, using his tongue to taste my skin. When he reached the waist of my jeans, his nearly black eyes looked at me to silently ask permission. I nodded slightly for him to continue.

All of my nervousness had been replaced with indescribable pleasure. Every touch of Edward's hands and mouth was sending shockwaves through my system. Edward made quick work of my jeans and underwear and he began kissing my ankle and slowly working his way up my leg. He continued his worship on my other leg, and sucked in an unsteady breath when he reached the inside of my thigh.

"So wet, Bella," he groaned.

"All for you, Edward," I replied, not knowing where the courage to utter those words had come from.

When his mouth met my bundle of nerves, I thought I would lose myself right then. None of my own pleasure seeking had ever been even remotely close to what one touch of his magic mouth and tongue felt like against my hot skin. A long moan escaped my mouth as his fingers began to trace teasing circles at my entrance while his tongue continued lapping at my clit in long, slow strokes.

"You like that, baby?"

"God… yes!" I hissed as I felt one long finger thrust into me. My hips bucked to meet his hand. Edward continued to thrust lazily in and out of my hot center, twisting his finger and hitting my g-spot while his tongue moved faster against my clit.

He added a second finger and I felt myself nearing the edge. Pleasure coursed through my veins and my hands involuntarily fisted the bedspread. My breath was coming in shallow pants. He curled his fingers up inside of me as he sucked my clit between his lips and growled against my skin. The vibration did me in and I screamed his name as I came. White hot sparks flew through my body and my toes curled as I lost myself in the pleasure he gave me.

Edward placed soft kisses along my inner thighs while I came down from the most intense orgasm I had ever had. It took me a minute to regain conscious thought and slow my breathing, but when I did I immediately sat up and pushed back on Edward's shoulders, causing him to sit up on his knees in front of me.

Startled at my sudden forcefulness, Edward's eyes grew wide as I attacked his mouth but he recovered quickly and kissed me back with as much enthusiasm. Tasting myself on his lips should have disgusted me, but instead I found it intensely erotic. Still functioning on instinct alone, my hands reached the waist of his pants and fumbled with the button, taking two tries before it came undone. I lowered the zipper as I slid his pants and boxers down his hips. He fluidly got up to remove them and returned to me.

I kissed my way down his torso, allowing my tongue to explore the definition of his perfect abs and across his hips. Finally being able to see his cock, I silently wondered how this was supposed to fit inside of me. I grasped it in one hand and felt Edward's hips buck slightly. Looking up at him, I slowly stroked with my hand as I lowered my mouth to where I most wanted to taste. My tongue darted out and licked the head of his shaft, tasting the salty pre-cum that had gathered there. Edward hissed and his body shook with that one, small movement.

"You don't have to do this," he whispered.

"I want to. I want to taste you," I replied, still stroking with my hand. "I've never done this before, so you have to tell me if I do something wrong."

Edward's dark eyes held mine as he nodded. My tongue came back out to lick around the head once before I wrapped my lips around him. "Ahh, Bella …" he whimpered as I began to move up and down at a slow pace. Hearing his sounds spurred me on, giving me a feeling of power knowing that I was the one to give him this pleasure. My hand was still wrapped around the base of his cock, moving in conjunction with my mouth over the part of him that I couldn't take in. I enjoyed the silky feel of his skin as my tongue traveled up his length.

Hearing more breathy moans from Edward caused another round of wetness to flow from me. I picked up the pace of my movements. His hand reached the back of my neck and wrapped in my hair, gently tugging but not pushing or pulling my head. I felt his abs tighten under my hand as he said, "Back up, I'm going to cum!"

Instead, I sucked harder and took more of him in until I could feel him hit the back of my throat. "Oh, God!" he screamed, just as I felt a stream of his hot liquid sliding down my throat. I swallowed around him and continued to suck as several more streams shot out of him, and his shaft began to soften in my mouth and hand.

I released him and worked my way back up his body until we were kneeling in front of each other with our lips locked together. With one hand cradling my head, he gently laid me back on the bed with his body hovering over mine. He pulled back with a crooked smile on his face and asked, "Are you sure you've never done that before?"

I blushed as I shook my head. "This blush is so alluring," he said as he brushed the back of his fingers across my cheek. He leaned in and kissed me deeply, while his hands resumed their expert exploration of my body. Reaching my breast, his thumb brushed across my pert nipple causing me to shudder. I felt his dick twitch against my thigh in response.

My hands moved across his back and down, not stopping until they reached his muscular ass. I pulled his body closer to mine and ground my hips into him. I knew little about male recovery time, but was empowered by feeling his hardness against me so quickly with just our kisses and touching.

I shifted underneath Edward so he was resting between my legs and I crushed my hips into him again. We both moaned at the contact. My body was eager to feel all of him. I knew there would be pain the first time, but more than anything I wanted to feel Edward inside of me, to feel that closeness with him.

Edward reached away from me toward his nightstand and I knew he was going for a condom. I put my hand on his arm to stop him and shook my head. "I want to feel all of you, Edward."

He stared at me for a moment and I got lost again in his gorgeous green eyes before I broke the silence to alleviate his concern. "I'm on birth control."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I mean, I'm clean, but I don't want you to worry."

My mind knew it was stupid, but my heart couldn't agree. I knew nothing of his sexual history, yet I wanted to feel the full intensity of our connection. "I'm sure," I said with confidence.

Edward kissed me again and I felt it all the way down to my toes. I felt the tip of his shaft brush down my clit as he lined himself up at my entrance. "I don't want to hurt you. You have to tell me if I hurt you," he rushed out. I nodded my agreement.

He was staring into my eyes as he slowly pushed just the head of his cock inside of me, looking for any sign of pain. There was some discomfort as my walls stretched to accommodate him but I was drowning in his eyes and the intensity of the fire flowing between us. My breathing picked up as I adjusted to the feeling.

He began kissing my neck, up to my jaw, and then sucked my earlobe into his mouth as he withdrew a bit and then thrust a little further into me. The combined sensations did not allow for any focus on the pain. He continued this way, slowly working further inside of me, while kneading my breast, kissing my mouth, licking the shell of my ear. "God, you feel amazing, Bella," he groaned in my ear and I answered with a whimper.

I knew I didn't have a barrier from a bike accident when I was a pre-teen, so I was thankful that at least there wouldn't be any blood. The stretching discomfort continued until I felt Edward's hips meet mine and he stilled. We both took a moment to adjust to the feeling of him fully inside of me. The discomfort subsided as I focused on the feel of Edward's hands on my body and his tongue in my mouth. I hummed in response to the pleasure coursing through me and I fisted his soft, bronze locks in my hands. For the first time in my life I felt whole, complete.

My hips began to move against him without conscious thought and it didn't take Edward long to follow my lead. "Oh, Edward," I moaned as our gentle thrusts became more frenzied. I could feel my body heating up as the pleasure started to build, small moans and gasps escaping us both as we moved.

Edward reached between us and rubbed my clit, slowly at first, then picking up speed to match the thrusts of our bodies. "I want you to cum for me, Bella. I want to feel you cum on my cock."

Like magic, his words sent me into oblivion and I felt my muscles clenching his cock over and over again. Pleasure raced through my body and I was only vaguely aware that I was screaming his name. Edward's thrusts became erratic and I felt him throb inside of me. He roared my name as his own orgasm took over, prolonging mine as I struggled to breathe.

Edward collapsed on my side as we both worked to gain control of our breathing. Still joined, he pulled me over so we were facing each other on our sides and began kissing me again, running his hand over my side and my hip in a soothing manner. He had been gentle and caring all night, but these touches were reassuring. I expected things to get uncomfortable, figuring now that he had gotten what he wanted I would have to find some way to make a quick escape.

But that seemed to be the furthest thing from his mind.

He cuddled me into his chest and intertwined our legs. He pressed soft kisses to the top of my head and ran his hand up and down my back. I was so comfortable, lying naked with a man I had just met, feeling like I could stay there forever.

I didn't want to make Edward uncomfortable by forcing him to kick me out, so I started to pull back, intent on making a quick escape to avoid the awkwardness. But Edward's grip on me only tightened.

"Stay with me."

I looked up at him in shock.

"Please." His eyes pleaded with me. "I don't want to let you go. I want to wake up next to you tomorrow and know that this wasn't a dream."

I poured everything I had into my responding kiss.

* * *

**A/N: Reviews are always welcome. Come find me on Facebook (Kitchmill Fanfic) or Twitter (at kitchmillfanfic).**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Edited 4/29/13**

Consciousness drifted to me slowly on Saturday morning and I fought against it. I had slept better than I could remember ever having slept in my twenty-six years of life. Not that I ever had nightmares or anxiety, but I was always restless. Always feeling like there was something missing from my life. That was exactly what had driven me to leave my family and friends behind in Chicago just a week ago. My mom was the most upset about my sudden move, but I could see the understanding in her eyes as she had hugged me goodbye.

It had taken surprisingly little time to pack what I wanted to bring, not having to clean out my old apartment since my parents owned it. I knew my mom felt more comfortable with me leaving stuff there. She wanted me to know that I always had a place to come back to.

Two days of packing and loading a trailer and three days of driving, food breaks, and sleeping in motels later, I ended up in Seattle at my new apartment. I had spent the last four days unpacking, taking some breaks to work once my computer was hooked up in order to maintain my income.

I opened my eyes reluctantly and glanced around my bedroom. I had loved my apartment immediately, but knowing no one in this town meant that I spent a lot of time alone in it. Not that I minded being alone—I do work from home which leads to spending the majority of my time alone anyway. But I was ready to get out and find out what Seattle had to offer me.

This was what led to a chance encounter at a hibachi restaurant and the beautiful girl who was snuggled up against me this morning. I tightened my grip around Bella and breathed in the strawberry scent of her hair. It was like an aphrodisiac. Her head was lying on my shoulder, tucked nicely into my neck. It was amazing how well she fit up against my body, like she was made for me alone.

I thought about seeing her beautiful brown eyes for the first time as I approached the table last night. They were so innocent, yet intriguing, like there was some story behind them and I was immediately dying to find out what it was.

When I was seated next to her, an intense heat took over my entire being and it took all of my willpower to make small talk with the other occupants of the table. But when I tapped her arm to introduce myself and a jolt went through my system, I knew I was done for. She seemed surprised at my touch, having been lost in her own thoughts, and I figured she wouldn't be interested in getting to know some stranger she met in a restaurant.

As our hands met in greeting and the electricity flowed once again, I became lost in her hypnotic gaze. I realized that I had to get to know this amazing creature. Hoping I wasn't making her uncomfortable, I started to make some small talk but immediately wished I hadn't. It appeared that the first words out of my mouth had offended her, even though I meant it when I called her beautiful.

Stunning, exquisite, and superb were more the adjectives that were going through my head, but I thought that might be a little much so I reined it back to "beautiful."

Apparently, my brain was working faster than the rest of me as I realized I had asked Bella to go someplace else to eat, just the two of us. Her smile was breathtaking when she had agreed. Just thinking about her smile had my heart rate picking up again. The things she could do to me with just one look!

Bella sighed in her sleep and snuggled further into me, throwing her leg across mine. I gently stroked her beautiful brown hair while I watched her sleep, realizing that waking up with her next to me was like finding the missing piece of a puzzle. I had to find a way to make her mine.

Dinner had been delicious and enjoyable, but fuck if I didn't get hard just from watching her perfect pink lips wrap around her fork with each bite that she took. Several times, I had to restrain myself from leaning over and kissing her. I was dying to know what her lips would feel like against mine.

During our conversation it was clear that she didn't have a lot of confidence in herself and she was shy. I couldn't figure out how someone as beautiful as Bella didn't know it. She obviously didn't see herself the way others did. It hadn't escaped my attention that a few of the other patrons had been paying a little too much attention to her, but she didn't even notice.

I was so nervous at the end of dinner when I asked her back to my apartment. Not that I was shy, but I also was not the kind of man that would typically be so bold, especially having only known Bella for a few hours. But there was no way I could let her go so soon. I was drawn to her, and I felt strength from the spark of holding her hand. I had to know if she felt it too.

My fingers traced light patterns on her naked back and hip as I remembered the feeling of elation when she told me that she would come to my apartment. She had seemed so confident in her response that I couldn't help but think that she felt the connection as well, and she confirmed as much when we got here.

I remembered the feel of her lips on mine when I kissed her the first time, sending waves of pleasure throughout my body. With my fingers wrapped in her silky brown hair, I felt like I could kiss her forever and never tire of the sensation. I admit that I was a little surprised when Bella blurted out that she was a virgin, but honestly I didn't see the issue. The decision of how fast or slow things moved was entirely up to her. Believe me, I wanted her. But I didn't _just _want her. I wanted all of her and I would be willing to wait as long as necessary for her.

Nuzzling her neck while we danced, I was overcome with her scent and the taste of her skin when I kissed her below her ear. I felt her shiver at my touch and I longed to give her more pleasure. Every touch of her fingers on my torso made me want her even more. My morning wood got impossibly harder as I remembered the taste of her, the feel of her mouth on my cock, and the glorious sight of her coming on my cock while screaming my name. I would never tire of hearing my name fall from her lips in the heat of our passion.

I wasn't sure where we would go from here, but one thing was for sure. I wanted Bella in my life and I would do whatever was needed to make that happen.

"Mmmm," Bella sighed into my neck, feeling my hands continue their light rubbing of her flesh. I shifted my position a bit so I could wake her up the rest of the way with kisses. I feathered her face with my lips and continued to breathe her in.

"Good morning," I whispered between kisses when I noticed her eyes flutter open.

"Yes, it is." She smiled at me and I couldn't control the grin that took over my face.

No longer able to resist, I kissed her gently on the lips. I thought she was going to pull away from me, worrying about morning breath or some other shit, but I was pleasantly surprised when she kissed me back and I felt her suck my bottom lip into her mouth. Our tongues danced together, wet and hot, for a few minutes until we became a frenzied mess of tangled bodies and limbs. Bella's breathing became heavy and I could feel evidence of her arousal on my thigh that was nestled between her legs. I'm sure she could feel my erection pressed against her thigh, and I moaned every time she moved and rubbed against it.

"Edward …" she began between kisses.

I stopped and looked at her, concern etched on my face that this was not what she wanted. "What is it, baby?" I couldn't help myself from using the term of endearment.

Her face blushed and she looked toward my chest instead of meeting my eyes. I gently lifted her chin so I could see her beauty. "Don't hide those beautiful eyes from me. Tell me what's on your mind."

Her blush deepened further, giving her whole face a perfect pink tint. I wanted to kiss her cheeks, but was unsure of what she was going to say.

"It's just …" she started, and then her fingers were in my hair and she was kissing me again. Leaning her forehead against mine, she finally uttered, "I want you, Edward."

I let out a large breath that I hadn't even realized I was holding. Thank god, at least we were on the same page. But first I had to make sure she was ok. I had been worried about her pain last night although she never asked me to stop or even slow down but I didn't know if she would be sore now.

"You're not sore?" I asked. She shook her head. "Thank god, because I want you so bad right now," I said with a relieved smile. Her smile could have lit the entire room.

We wasted no time getting back to where we left off, with hands roaming and mouths exploring. The feel of her hot mouth on my chest was nothing short of spectacular. When my hand made its way down between her thighs, we both moaned at the contact. She was so wet already and I wanted to be buried inside of her. My fingers circled her slick clit a few times before dipping down toward her entrance and back. My other hand was tangled in her hair as our mouths met with enthusiasm. On the third pass of my fingers, I let two of them slip inside of her. The feel of her wet heat sent shockwaves through me while she moaned out again. I pumped my fingers a few times while my thumb pressed on her clit. It felt like her walls were sucking me in, begging me for more.

Another moan escaped her before she whispered, "Now, Edward … please."

She didn't need to ask me twice. I pulled my fingers from her and placed my palm on the inside of her thigh, nudging her leg to open her up to me. She was still on her side, so I hovered over her a bit and let my cock rub up and down her wet slit. I kissed her with passion as I started to gently slide into her. It didn't take long until I was fully sheathed in her throbbing pussy. I stayed that way for a few moments to allow us both time to get used to the sensation. To be honest, I didn't think I would last long if I didn't take a minute to get in control.

Bella's hands gripped my back, pulling my body even closer to her. "Are you ok?" I asked, worried that it may still be painful for her.

A slow smile came over her face. "Much more than ok." Her response made my heart flutter, while the feeling of being surrounded by her once again sent pleasure throughout me.

I gently lifted her leg a little higher with my first short thrust and found myself buried even deeper within her walls. "Uhh … Bella, it's never felt this good." It was the truth. I'd been with a few women before, but not once had I felt this complete when having sex. It had just been sex; a means to an end for the most part. With Bella, I felt like I was home. There was an intensity that had been missing for all those years.

My thrusts began to lengthen, but I kept them gentle and in control, making sure my pelvis rubbed her clit on each stroke. Bella's nails were scratching my back, my neck, my scalp, which felt fucking amazing, only adding to the sensation of pure bliss. Her breathing picked up as my mouth met her neck. I sucked, licked and nibbled any place that I could. Her hips angled a bit and she managed to take me in even deeper as she began meeting my thrusts. "God, so deep, baby," I whispered near her ear before taking her lobe into my mouth. I knew I wasn't going to last much longer. My orgasm was already building low in my stomach and I could feel my balls tightening.

"Uh … Edward … I'm …" she stuttered as I felt her walls start to flutter around me. "Edward!" she screamed, as her orgasm took over.

I thrust into her a few more times, with the feeling of her contracting muscles sending me over the edge. With my face buried in her neck, I groaned her name over and over again as I came in several long spurts, finally stilling inside of her as we both rode out the waves of pleasure.

Eventually I collapsed next to her, trying to catch my breath and regain my strength, and pulled her leg over my hip. I was still buried inside of her and planned to stay that way as long as she'd let me. When my breathing returned to normal, I peppered her face with kisses and she tightened her hold of me. I wondered if we could just stay in bed all day.

As if she was reading my mind, I noticed her lean up to look at the alarm clock on the table behind me. I had no idea what time it was, nor did I care, but maybe she had somewhere she needed to be or someone was going to be missing her. "Please tell me you don't need to go," I pleaded. I knew without a doubt that I would see her again, but I didn't want to give her up just yet.

"No, it's just …" she trailed off with a sigh. "I'm sure my best friend, Alice, will be calling me if she hasn't already. I don't want her to worry about me."

"How about I make us some breakfast while you check in with Alice?"

"You really don't have to do that."

"But I want to." And I meant it. I wanted to spend more time with her.

"Ok, that sounds good."

I gave her one last kiss before reluctantly extricating myself from her limbs and the bed. I threw on a clean pair of boxers, and took out an extra pair and my favorite T-shirt for Bella. "You might be more comfortable in this," I told her, handing her the clothes. Plus, it would mean that she wouldn't be walking out the door too quickly, since she'd still have to change into her own clothes. "The bathroom is through there. Help yourself to anything you need. There should be some unopened toothbrushes under the sink."

She turned the T-shirt over in her hands and chuckled, with a light blush rising to her cheeks.

"What?"

"Nothing … I just never met anyone else who likes the BoDeans as much as I do, and you just handed me their T-shirt."

This girl never ceases to surprise me. The BoDeans had been one of my favorite bands for a long time. Just then she started singing, "If I can hold you tonight …"

"I might never let go," I sang in response. A wide smile crept across my face as I realized that she had just quoted my favorite song to me, and it couldn't have been more fitting. I leaned over and kissed her forehead, telling her I was going to start breakfast.

Hopefully scrambled eggs and toast would do because there wasn't much else I could do in my kitchen yet. I loved to cook but still hadn't had time to finish unpacking and organize the kitchen the way I wanted it.

I had the toast in the toaster and was just pouring the eggs into the pan when Bella came into the living room. My dick was immediately standing at attention when I saw how adorable she looked in my clothes. I quickly turned to the counter, hoping she wouldn't notice. She grabbed her phone out of her purse and sighed as she looked at it. "Something wrong?"

"No, she already left me several messages and it's not even nine o'clock yet. But that's just Alice," she said with a smile. Bella headed over to the couch to make her phone call. I tried not to pay attention, but I was dying to hear what she would tell her friend.

"Good morning to you, too, Alice," Bella said with mock enthusiasm. "No, I'm not … yes … um, I went to the hibachi place down the street but didn't stay there … La Bella Italia … yes … Alice, calm down! ... I'll tell you everything later … alright … yeah, see you then. Bye."

"Juice or coffee?" I called out once I heard her hang up the phone, thankful that the distraction of cooking had calmed my body down.

"Coffee would be great, thanks." Bella brought last night's forgotten beer bottles into the kitchen and dumped them into the sink.

"You didn't have to do that," I said, grabbing two coffee mugs and placing them on the table.

"I'm used to being the one doing the cooking. I had to at least feel helpful," she said with a playful smile.

We both sat down and started in on our eggs. It felt so comfortable having Bella sitting next to me, like this is the way it was supposed to be. We ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes, while I stole a few glances at her. I never thought a simple T-shirt could be so sexy, but something about Bella wearing my shirt made my heart go into overdrive.

I finally broke the silence. "So, do you have any plans for today or tonight?" I was really hoping that I'd be able to see more of her.

"Well, Alice is coming over later for a little while, not until after lunch though. No plans other than that."

"Can I see you again tonight?" I hope she feels the same as I do and wants to spend more time with me.

She blushed and smiled while still looking down at her plate. "Yeah, that would be really nice." She finally looked up and I could see the smile in her eyes. "How about I cook tonight? You could come to my apartment. It's only a few blocks away."

My relief was palpable, and I couldn't stop the smile from taking over my face. "That would be really nice."

We agreed on five o'clock and she told me her address while we cleared the dishes from the table. She insisted on helping clean up, so I washed while she dried and put things away. I tried not to stare when she was reaching up to put the dishes in the cabinet, but my eyes were drawn to her slender body leaning slightly over the counter. We worked together like a well oiled machine, and soon my kitchen was neater than it had been before I started cooking this morning.

I suggested that we take our coffee into the living room and maybe find a movie to watch. I flipped through the channels as we chatted, never landing on anything in particular as our discussion was much more interesting. We ended up facing each other on opposite ends of the couch, my feet resting outside of her legs and her feet in my lap. I had been absentmindedly rubbing her adorable little feet for a while as she told me about how she loves to write, mostly in her journal as a way to express herself. I completely understood what she was saying, and I explained that that was how I used my music.

After a while we got into a sort of "get to know you" game, firing off questions to each other about anything from favorite color, last movie we'd seen, favorite high school subject and everything in between. Before I knew it, it was noon and Bella had to leave to meet up with Alice. As she was changing her clothes in the bedroom, I had to remind myself that it would just be a few hours until I could see her again. That didn't stop me from missing her the second she was out the door.

Before she left, we exchanged cell phone numbers and she thanked me again for dinner and breakfast. I gave her one last heated kiss, filled with all of my emotions, and then she left.

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair as I plopped down on the couch, a goofy grin on my face and my heart pounding a mile a minute in my chest. I knew I had a lot to do today but all I could think about was that beautiful brunette, her captivating smile, and the electricity that flowed between us with every touch.

I don't know how long I sat there lost in my daydream before my phone started ringing. Glancing quickly at the caller ID, I answered, "Hi, mom."

"_Edward, sweetie, I just wanted to make sure you were settling in okay."_

"I was actually going to call you today to check in. Everything is fine so far. My computer is hooked up and I have most of my unpacking done already."

"_That's great. Have you been able to meet any of your neighbors?"_

"I met the lady that lives across the hall yesterday. She seemed nice."

"_Oh, is she around your age? Maybe she can show you around."_

That made me chuckle. "No, mom. She's a grandmother. But at least it's a friendly face in the hall, you know … someone I can borrow a cup of sugar from."

"_Oh. You know I just worry about you being so far away on your own, sweetie. How are you going to meet anyone?"_

"I actually met someone last night."

"_Really?"_

"Really." I smiled just thinking about her. "Her name is Bella and she lives a few blocks away. I'm going to see her again tonight. She invited me over for dinner."

"_That's great! You sound happy. Tell me about her!"_

"Mom, come on … I just met her! Give me some time. I promise you'll be the first to know ALL about her if things get serious." Serious for Bella, that is. I already knew that this was serious for me, considering I couldn't stop thinking about her, I wanted to know everything there was to know about her, and I was already counting down the minutes until I would get to see her again.

"_Ok, fine. I'll let it go for now. Call me soon, sweetie."_

"I will mom. I love you."

"_I love you, too, Edward."_

I spent the next hour or so working on getting my kitchen in order and tossing empty boxes into the dumpster. It felt great to make more progress on the apartment and make it feel more like home. I hung some pictures on the walls and organized my DVDs while trying to distract myself from thoughts of Bella's timid smile, soft skin, and even softer lips.

Eventually I gave up and started getting ready for our date. As I let the hot water of my shower work the nerves out of my muscles, I wondered if Bella was as nervous as I was. Then I tried to figure out why exactly I was nervous. I mean, she must be interested in me if she invited me over for dinner, right? Of course, I wanted to make a good impression on her, but when I really thought about it I realized that I was drawn to her for who she was and I hoped she was drawn to me for _me_. It's not like I had to try to be someone else. Either the connection from last night was there or it wasn't.

I pulled on my jeans and a button down shirt and I tried to tame my hair but gave up on that rather quickly. Glancing at the clock, I noticed that I had about an hour to get over to Bella's apartment, which was perfect. I grabbed my wallet, keys and cell phone and headed out of the apartment.

I made my way to the liquor store and browsed a bit for a nice bottle of wine. I found a pinot and purchased it, then made my way to my next stop. I knew the grocery store would have exactly what I was looking for. Several bins of flowers sat out front, but a bouquet of purple lilies and white tulips in the back caught my eye. I paid for the flowers and then nervously made my way to Bella's apartment.

Her building looked nice and I loved that it was only a five minute walk from my place, but I hated that there was no lock on the main door. I mean, anyone could just walk in there, and I wanted my girl to be safe.

My girl? God, I hope so.

As I approached her door I heard laughter and some loud music. I realized that I was about ten minutes early, but I just couldn't wait any longer. I shifted the bottle of wine under my arm and held the flowers in the same hand. I held my breath as I knocked on the door. The most beautiful brown eyes met mine when the door opened and I couldn't control the smile that took over my face at the sight of her.

**A/N: Reviews are always welcome. Come find me on Facebook (Kitchmill Fanfic) or Twitter (at kitchmillfanfic).**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Edited 4/29/13**

"So, tell me everything!" Alice shrieked before I even had the door to my apartment unlocked.

"Give me a second to get inside and put the groceries away, will ya?" She had been waiting outside of my door even though I wasn't late getting home.

It had only been thirty-five minutes since I left Edward's apartment, yet I had already pinched myself five or six times to make sure that the last sixteen hours really weren't a dream. I stopped at the little grocery store that was between Edward's and my apartment to pick up a few things for dinner tonight. I knew I had the ingredients for lasagna at home, so I got a fresh loaf of bread and salad to go with it, along with some fruit for dessert.

Alice's tiny body was vibrating with excitement as I unloaded the groceries and I could see that she wasn't going to wait much longer. I held my hand up to stop her from jumping all over me. "Ok, let's sit down so I can tell you about my night … and morning," I said with a goofy grin that I couldn't hide.

We took a seat on the couch and I proceeded to tell her about going to the hibachi restaurant, meeting Edward and feeling the electricity between us, going to the Italian place, the connection we both felt, and going back to his apartment. I was thankful that Alice didn't interrupt me too much. I could tell it was taking a lot out of her to hold back to a few minor shrieks while I spoke.

She finally broke down after I told her about our first kiss. "You slept with him, didn't you? Oh my god, Bella, I'm so happy for you! I have to meet him … when can I meet him? I can't believe you lost your virginity last night!"

"Slow down, Alice!" I love her like a sister, but she can be a bit overwhelming sometimes. "Yes, I slept with him … twice." I felt the heat rising in my cheeks at the admission.

"How did you feel? Was it good? What am I saying, of course it was good if you did it twice!"

I had to cut her off there. I really didn't want to get into the details, but I knew I had to give her something. "If you'd let me talk …" I shot her a disapproving look.

"Sorry, my lips are sealed. Go ahead."

"Ok, so, really it was just wonderful. He was wonderful. I mean, not that I have much to compare it to, but even just holding his hand made me feel connected to him. There was something drawing me to him from the moment I saw him. We just clicked, you know? I was kind of afraid that afterward that would be the end of it, and I was prepared for that, but I thought my heart was going to burst when he asked me to stay. And then this morning … god … waking up in his arms, it just felt so _right_. Nothing has ever felt like that before."

"I knew something great was waiting for you last night," Alice said with authority. It's not that I doubted her. Well, maybe I did doubt her, because going out alone didn't really seem like the way to find something wonderful. And I guess I still somewhat doubted her because maybe Edward didn't feel as strongly as I did. Things don't usually happen so quickly. Only time would tell. But even if this didn't last, although I was hoping it would, at least I would have experienced something wonderful in my life for once.

Alice and I chatted for a little while longer before I realized that I needed to start working on the lasagna and get ready for my evening. We turned on the stereo and she helped me get everything together. We laughed and joked, and she told me about her night with Jasper. He hadn't realized it was my birthday when he bought tickets to take her to a show, but it seemed like everything worked out the way it was supposed to last night.

I took a shower while Alice lounged around my apartment. She said she wanted to do my hair—Alice loved playing Bella Barbie—but I'm pretty sure she wanted to hang out as long as she could so she could meet Edward. She blew my hair out straight, and then put loose curls in the sides with small clips to keep it out of my face. She tore through my closet and found a fitted mauve blouse with three quarter sleeves to pair with my dark blue jeans. Looking in the mirror, I had to admit that Alice knew what she was doing.

She wanted to add some makeup, but I insisted on not wearing any. I really wanted to be myself for Edward, and Alice reluctantly agreed.

Once the primping was complete, Alice stayed to help me get everything ready. We turned the music up and danced and laughed our way through the kitchen; Alice setting the table while I put the lasagna in the oven and prepped the salad. We were having such a good time that I almost forgot to be nervous about inviting a man to my apartment for a date.

And then there was a knock at the door. We both jumped a bit and then laughed some more. I had planned on kicking Alice out with some time to spare before Edward arrived, but he was early so I guess she would get her wish to meet him after all.

I could feel the blush rising in my cheeks as I looked at Alice and headed for the door. I opened it to a most welcome sight. Edward was breathtaking in a gray dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows. Who knew forearms could be so sexy? His low hanging jeans were incredibly inviting. His hair was its usual disarray of bronze and copper, as if he couldn't stop running his fingers through it. I landed on his blazing green eyes, which smiled along with the rest of his face.

"I'm sorry, I'm a bit early." Edward's voice assaulted my entire being and I discreetly rubbed my thighs together before I was able to respond.

"I'm glad you're here. Come on in." I opened the door wider to let Edward enter. As I stepped back, he stepped forward and gently kissed me. My smile grew even more as he pulled his lips away.

"Wow, you look beautiful. These are for you," he said as he gestured to the flowers I hadn't even noticed in his hand before. "And, I brought a bottle of wine for dinner."

He hadn't even made it all the way in the door and I was swooning all over again. Flowers, wine and a hello kiss were enough to turn my insides to mush.

"Wow, they're beautiful. Thank you." I took the flowers and turned to find a vase, when I caught Alice's eye and realized I had some introductions to make. The gleam in her eyes told me that Edward already had her approval.

"Um, Edward, this is my best friend, Alice. Alice … Edward." Alice didn't waste any time rushing over to hug Edward and tell him how nice it was to meet him. They exchanged pleasantries while I moved into the kitchen to put the flowers in water. That was when I realized that I had had sex with this man twice, slept in his bed, and yet I didn't even know his last name. We'd have to rectify that tonight. Regardless of this insane attraction I felt for him, I needed to know more about him.

Edward chuckled at Alice's greeting. I guess he was somewhat prepared by what I had already told him about her.

"Well, I should be going," Alice started, but Edward interrupted her.

"Please don't leave on my account. I'm early anyway, and it would be nice to get to know Bella's best friend."

"Actually, I didn't realize how late it was. I have to go get ready to meet my boyfriend anyway. I'll call you tomorrow, Bella," she sang as she picked her purse up from behind Edward. She mouthed _Wow!_ to me before adding, "It was nice to meet you Edward. Hopefully I'll see you again soon."

"You, too, Alice."

With that, she was off. I had no idea if she really had plans with Jasper tonight, but I was glad for the privacy.

"Dinner won't be ready for a little while, but I can open the wine now if you want."

"I'll open it," Edward offered. I handed him a cork screw and reached into the cabinet for two wine glasses. Edward expertly opened the bottle and then poured some for each of us.

"Do you want to sit?" I asked, gesturing to the couch. Being a studio apartment, there weren't many seating choices. I had a worn, grey couch facing the TV with a small black coffee table in between. My desk and chair were in the corner of the living area, and there was a small kitchen table situated between the kitchen and living area. My bed was in an alcove off the living area. I never really had much company besides Alice, and Jasper on occasion, but tonight I felt oddly exposed having my bedroom visible from the sitting area.

Edward nodded and took a seat on the couch. "Big Head Todd & The Monsters?" he commented, referring to the music that was still playing too loudly.

I quickly got up and turned the stereo down so we'd be able to talk. "Yeah, Alice and I were listening while I was working on dinner."

"Well, you both have great taste in music then," Edward said with a smile. I was still amazed at how much Edward and I had in common. But that just reminded me of how much I still didn't know about him.

"Edward," I started hesitantly, "what's your last name?"

Edward laughed at that. "We still have a lot to learn about each other, don't we? My last name is Cullen. My middle name is Anthony, by the way. And you?"

"My full name is Isabella Marie Swan."

"Isabella … that's lovely. It fits you." I blushed under his compliment and his hand lightly stroked my reddened cheek.

After that, I asked when his birthday is, since he already knew mine. Edward told me that he had turned twenty-six on June twentieth. We continued talking about family, friends, education, and anything else we came up with. I was finding myself more and more comfortable with Edward as time went on. We had migrated closer to each other on the couch until I was relaxed against his side and Edward's arm was around my shoulders, twirling a lock of my hair in his fingers. It felt heavenly.

The oven timer went off after about forty-five minutes so I got up to take the lasagna out. "This needs to cool for a few minutes before I cut it, but we can start with salad if you're hungry." I popped the garlic bread into the oven.

"Wow, that smells great," Edward commented. "What can I help with?"

"Just come sit," I told him as I pulled the salad out of the refrigerator along with the jar of homemade salad dressing. Alice had set the table so everything else was ready.

Edward moved over to the table and brought both of our wine glasses with him. He refilled our drinks and took a seat. "Allow me," he said as he took the salad tongs and started serving me before filling his bowl.

"Thanks." He really had impeccable manners. I poured some dressing over my salad and then handed the jar to Edward.

"Did you make the dressing, too?" I smiled and nodded. "You really like to cook, huh?"

"I do," I said as we both started in on our salads. "My mom was never much of a cook, so I learned young just so I would have something decent to eat. She would have lived on frozen food and take-out if I didn't start cooking for us.

"Then, when I moved in with my dad, well he had been a bachelor for longer than he'd been married, so I took over the cooking in his house also. I always enjoyed cooking and experimenting in the kitchen. It's nice to have someone to cook for, though."

Edward smiled and I thought I saw just a hint of pink tinge his cheeks. "Well, this homemade salad dressing is great. I can't wait to try the lasagna. Are you finished with your salad?" I nodded and Edward picked up both of our bowls and took them to the sink. I moved the lasagna to the table and then got the garlic bread out of the oven, placing a piece on each of our plates.

Edward didn't waste any time picking out a spatula from the counter and taking one of the oven mitts from me. He cut and served the lasagna for both of us. He seemed just as much at home in my kitchen as I had felt in his.

When we both were seated again, Edward picked up his wine glass and toasted, "To new friends and wonderful dinners."

I tried to keep the outward smile on my face, but inside my heart fell to my feet at Edward's use of the word "friends." After everything that had happened last night, our discussion about having a connection, I thought for sure we were more than that. He had wanted to spend so much time with me and was so anxious to see me again tonight. But maybe he really wasn't looking for more than friendship. He had just arrived in Seattle, so maybe he really just needed someone to spend some time with.

Either way, I put on a smile for him. "Cheers," I said, and then tapped my glass against his. We both took a sip of our wine before digging into the lasagna.

Once again, I found myself watching Edward as he ate. The way his mouth moved over the fork reminded me of all the wonderful things that mouth had done to my body just last night and this morning. I watched his jaw clench as he chewed and I had to suppress the urge to lick and kiss it. I crossed my legs under the table as wetness started to pool between them, and forced myself to take a bite of my own food.

"Wow, Bella … this is phenomenal," Edward commented after he finished his first bite.

"Thanks. This is actually my grandmother's recipe. My mom might not have gotten the cooking gene from her, but my grandmother really knew what she was doing. How about you? You said you like to cook. Where did that come from?"

"My mom, mostly. She was always cooking something, and as a kid I always liked to help her. Emmett was always too busy with sports to bother to help." He dipped his bread in the sauce on his plate and took a bite before continuing. "I guess once I was living on my own and having to cook for myself, it all just came back to me. I think I was sort of programmed for cooking to be a relaxing event since I spent all that time enjoying it with my mom."

"Are you close with your mom?"

"Yeah. I mean, my whole family is pretty close, but I guess I would say that I'm closest to my mom. She and I are a lot alike. And although I know she hated the idea of me moving away, she was really supportive." He took a sip of his wine. "Of course, she convinced me to leave stuff at my old apartment, I think because she wants me to always feel like I can come back," he added with a smirk.

"That's nice that you're so close with your family."

"What about you? I know you said you don't see your dad that often, but are you close to your parents?"

I had to think about that for a minute. I guess I was kind of close to my mom, when we talked. "My dad is a man of few words, and although I know he's always there for me, we just don't talk that often. My mom is a bit scatterbrained, but we do have a good relationship. It's not like we have weekly phone calls or anything, but I know I can call her whenever I need to." Then I laughed, remembering some of my recent conversations with Renee. "Of course, that doesn't mean that she gives good advice or anything! Sometimes I think I call her to find out what _not_ to do."

That made Edward laugh, and his eyes lit up. The sound was music to my ears. He really was beautiful, and his genuine laugh set the butterflies in my stomach back into motion.

We finished eating dinner with more enjoyable conversation, while I continued to try to put the "friends" comment out of my mind. Edward told me about growing up in Chicago and the harsh winters, and I told him about the Phoenix sun and rainy Forks. When we both had our fill of lasagna and garlic bread, Edward took both plates over to the sink and started washing them while I wrapped up the rest of the lasagna and offered him some leftovers to take home. Once again, we cleaned up the kitchen together effortlessly. Everything felt so comfortable and relaxed with this man that I had only known for about twenty-four hours. Shy, nervous Bella seemed to disappear in Edward's company, replaced by tranquil, sociable Bella. I liked this new Bella.

Edward emptied the wine bottle into our glasses and we moved back to the couch. Still unsure of what was going on between us, I made it a point to sit a bit further from Edward than I had before. Although my personality had relaxed somewhat, I still wasn't outgoing enough to start making moves. Edward seemed to notice the distance and maybe even my nervousness. He scooted closer to me and turned to face me, getting comfortable on the couch.

My heart was beating a mile a minute just looking at this beautiful creature. I noticed his long fingers wrapped around his wine glass, and remembered how wonderful it felt to have them wrapped around my own hand, soft and warm, fitting perfectly together like they were made to hold each other. I looked into his eyes, which looked even brighter green tonight being offset by the grey of his shirt.

Edward took both of our wine glasses and placed them on the coffee table. When he turned back to me, there was a softness in his eyes. He took both of my hands in his and pulled me closer to him, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and bringing his other hand to my cheek when our faces were only inches apart. His touch was tender and his eyes turned intense.

"I'd really like to kiss you now, if that's ok," he stated nervously. I could only nod under the intensity of his gaze, afraid that my voice would fail me. Edward placed his lips against mine, lightly at first but with increasing pressure until I felt his tongue sneak out. I gladly greeted his tongue with my own and moaned softly at the contact. My hands instinctively found their home in the back of his hair as our kiss continued. The pace of the butterflies in my stomach picked up, as did my desire as evidenced by the heat building between my legs. It was amazing what one touch from this man could do to my entire body.

When we were both left breathless, his lips left mine and travelled down across my jaw and below my ear, leaving my skin hot and wet in his wake. "Bella," he whispered next to my ear. I only hummed in response. "Would you want to be my girlfriend?"

My breath hitched at his whispered question. He must have noticed because he pulled back to meet my eyes with a concerned look. "I'm sorry, I'm not very good at this …" he babbled. "I know we haven't known each other for very long, but you're all I can think about already and I didn't know what you were thinking about last night or where we go from here. And, really I just want to keep getting to know you and keep spending time with you …"

I silenced him with two fingers over his lips.

"You had me at 'girlfriend.'"

Huge smiles spread across both of our faces as we met once more for a deep kiss.

After a few minutes of heavenly kisses from my _boyfriend_, we reluctantly broke apart and I cuddled into his side on the couch. Truly, just being in his embrace was comforting and enjoyable.

Edward leaned forward and retrieved both of our forgotten wine glasses, handing mine to me. "I think another toast is in order, considering my earlier toast didn't reflect my true feelings."

My heart jumped back into my throat at his words, knowing he was as concerned about using the term "friends" as I was. "What shall we drink to, then?" I asked.

Edward seemed to contemplate for a moment before beginning. "How about, 'to chance encounters and new relationships'?"

"I like that," I replied. I raised my glass and repeated, "To chance encounters and new relationships." We tapped our glasses together and sipped our wine with our eyes locked on each other.

We spent the next hour or so with Edward peppering me with questions about Seattle; what sights to see, where to go, what to do. Although I didn't know much about the nightlife, I was able to tell Edward about some of the parks with hiking trails and great scenery. We decided that we would hike together next Saturday and try out one of the trails I had mentioned.

Edward also asked if he could take me on a "proper date" sometime soon. We discussed work schedules and realized that neither of us was particularly bound to a nine to five schedule. As long as the work got done, we were free to work on it at any time of day, aside from prescheduled meetings. It was this reason, and the fact that we both seemed overly anxious for our first real date, that we decided on Tuesday night. I also mentioned maybe getting together with Alice and Jasper. Edward eagerly agreed to that, saying it would be nice to get to know Alice better as well as making a male friend in the area. I told him I would set it up with them.

Edward glanced at the clock and looked sheepishly at me. "I don't want to be presumptuous, so whenever you need me to leave, just let me know. I'm sure you have things to do tomorrow."

"I'd love it if you could stay," I said, looking down at my now empty hands in my lap, "but I understand if you can't."

I felt Edward's fingers under my chin, gently lifting my face to his. I knew I was in full blush, as even my chest felt hot. "I want you to be able to tell me what you're thinking or feeling," he said looking straight into my eyes. "Sometimes I wish I could read your mind because I have no idea what's going on in that head of yours. This is new for both of us and we'll need to figure it out together."

I nodded at him and he continued, "I'll tell you what I'm thinking right now. I'd like to stay the night with you, even if it's just to hold you in my arms and wake up with you next to me again. Having you wrapped around me this morning was the best thing I've felt in a long time.

"I won't lie and say that I don't want you, but I know we moved fast and it's ok if you're not ready for that again." With a crooked grin and a nod, he added, "Your turn."

My heart fluttered in my chest right along with the butterflies in my stomach. I could not believe that he wanted to stay, even if I said that I just wanted him to hold me all night. Of course, I wanted to wake up with his arms around me again, but I also wanted to experience the insane connection of our bodies joining together. Once again, the understanding that he was willing to put my needs in front of his own made me all the more attracted to him.

"I'd definitely like you to stay," I blurted out. Shyly, I added, "And I'd really like to be with you, too." My head dipped down a bit and I let my hair cover the side of my face. I knew he wanted me to speak my feelings, but that didn't mean it wouldn't still embarrass me.

Edward reached his hand out and gently pushed my hair behind my ear. When I looked up, my breath caught in my throat at the intense look in his eyes. His grin got wider as he leaned over and kissed me. "That's all I needed to know," he said, with our foreheads touching and his lips only inches from mine.

The feel of his soft lips, his hand on the side of my face, and his warm breath were overcoming my senses. I was dizzy with emotion. I blinked a few times to clear my head and suddenly remembered dessert.

"I forgot about dessert!" I blurted out. Edward laughed at my sudden change of topic. "Um, it's just strawberries and cream. With Alice here today, I didn't have time to bake anything."

"That sounds delicious," Edward said with a gleam in his eyes.

I extricated myself from his embrace and went to the kitchen to get the bowl of strawberries and whipped cream, and brought them over to the coffee table. I was about to go back for some plates and utensils, when Edward grabbed my hand and pulled me back down to the couch, on his lap. He picked up a strawberry, dipped it in the cream, and brought it to my lips.

My heart was fluttering again as I realized that he wanted to feed them to me. As if he needed to seduce me! Nonetheless, I opened my mouth and stared in his eyes as he moved the plump fruit closer. I took a bite of the sweet strawberry and closed my eyes at the taste of it. I could feel a bit of juice drip down the side of my mouth, but before I could even consider getting a napkin, I felt Edward's tongue lick off the excess.

"Delicious," he mumbled as I moaned at the contact. I was pretty sure I was going to need to change my panties very soon, or just take them off. Yeah, just take them off. Or have Edward tear them off. That would work, too.

Edward fed the rest of the strawberry to me and I reached for one to feed him. I dipped it far into the cream, getting some on my fingertips in the process. I brought it to Edward's mouth and he wasted no time wrapping his lips around it to take a bite. I felt his tongue snake out again and some suction on my fingers as he licked the cream off of me in the process.

I was a puddle of goo in his arms, and had to shift myself in his lap to relieve the throbbing between my legs. As I shifted, I realized that I wasn't the only one with a problem between my legs. I shifted again so I was straddling him as I fed him the rest of the strawberry. I may have also grinded myself into him a bit in the process.

Edward reached behind me toward the bowls on the table. I was more than ready for another strawberry, but was surprised when he came back with only a dollop of whipped cream on his finger. Not that I minded licking that off of him … except he had other ideas. His finger traced a path from the side of my neck, over my collar bone and into the V of my shirt, leaving a trail of whipped cream in its wake.

The feel of the cold cream was somewhat startling but it was quickly replaced with Edward's hot mouth and tongue. I leaned my head over to give him better access to my neck and whimpered at the feel of his mouth sucking the cream from my body. "Delicious," he muttered again, and I wasn't sure if he was talking about the cream or me. He was very thorough as he cleaned my skin and I felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest as his tongue dipped down between my breasts.

He looked up at me when he was finished and I saw that he still had some cream on his finger, so I grabbed his wrist and brought his hand to my mouth. My tongue came out to lick his finger and my lips wrapped around it. As I gently sucked and tongued his finger, I felt his hips buck into me. My free hand immediately went to his shoulder for leverage so I could grind myself back into him.

I released his finger from my mouth with a pop and quickly found myself laying back on the couch with Edward hovering over me. His mouth was on mine with a deep, needy kiss which I eagerly returned. His hands went to the buttons on my blouse in haste. My chest was heaving in anticipation as Edward removed my shirt and bra. He was kissing my right shoulder when I felt something cold touch the top swell of my left breast. A quiet gasp escaped me as I realized that Edward wasn't finished with the whipped cream. He sat back to admire his artwork as he swirled his finger around my breast. His mouth followed quickly after, while his free hand massaged the other breast.

I figured two could play this game, so I busied myself with the buttons of Edward's shirt and quickly pushed it off his shoulders. My eyes raked over his perfect form; muscular but not overly so, defined pecs with a small amount of light hair between them, washboard abs ending in a V that pointed toward the promised land. Although I could stare at him all day, I gently pushed back on his shoulders while I kissed my way around his upper body. He allowed me to lead him back down onto the couch and I reached for the whipped cream. I held my hand up to show him and smirked as I reached down to start running my finger around his chest. A little on one nipple, a line down the center of his chest, and a bit above the waist band of his jeans. Edward gasped at the contact of the cold cream, but it was quickly followed by a loud moan as my mouth began sucking it off of his nipple.

I licked, sucked and teased my way around his upper body while Edward pushed my hair to the side and lifted his head to watch me. I looked up at him while still licking. His hands found their way to my breasts and I moaned into his lower stomach. Edward hissed at the vibration.

I unbuttoned his jeans and started to lower the zipper when I was quickly scooped up in Edward's arms. I laughed as he carried me over to my bed and we both dropped down onto it. He made quick work of my jeans and underwear and followed with his own. The sight before me was incredible.

Edward lay back down beside me and kissed me fiercely. My hands tangled at the back of his head, scratching at his scalp and tugging his hair. His hands were roaming all over my body. I could feel him everywhere. My skin tingled with every touch and my body was completely on fire.

"Uhhhh … you're so wet," he groaned when his hand found its way between my legs.

"Mmmmm," was all I could mumble in response.

Two of his long fingers entered me and I mumbled some more incoherent words. It didn't matter, since there were no words to describe how wonderful it felt to have him touch me, inside or out.

Meanwhile, my nails were scratching a path down Edward's back and landed on his perfect ass. I squeezed and rubbed and pulled his body closer. There was no way to get close enough to him. Even when he was inside of me and everything felt right, I still wanted him closer. Edward continued to nip and kiss my upper body while his fingers pumped slowly in and out of me, hitting that wonderful spot on each stroke. As I felt myself nearing the edge, my hips started to move against his hand.

"That's it, baby. Show me what you like."

I think "fuhhh" was my brilliant response before my mouth attached to the crook of his neck. I'm pretty sure I was sucking hard but I couldn't really control it.

Edward rolled one nipple in his hand while his mouth clamped over the other. I felt some sucking and tugging, and then as he gently bit down I lost it. I have no idea what I was screaming as I came hard around his fingers. I felt that orgasm from my head to my toes.

His fingers slowed down as did the pace of his kisses on my chest, his mouth moving up to my neck. I was still breathing heavily when he whispered, "Watching you come is the most beautiful sight."

Eventually, when my breathing returned to almost normal, Edward removed his fingers and I immediately felt the loss. He didn't waste any time rolling me onto my back and placing his body between my legs. His hands snaked under my shoulders as he kissed me hard and lifted me up to a sitting position, him on his knees with me straddling him. I loved the close contact of our bodies in this position.

I lifted myself up and guided his cock to my entrance, slowly sinking down on him. His grip on me tightened as I felt my insides clench around him. He kissed my neck and up to my jaw before finding his way to the spot below my ear that seemed to drive me wild. Once he started sucking on that spot, I couldn't contain myself anymore. Instead of moving up and down, I started rocking back and forth on his lap, grinding myself into him on each pass.

Edward groaned into my ear and that just spurred me on to grind harder. "Fuck, what are you doing to me?" he moaned.

"I have no idea what I'm doing," I responded breathlessly. "But it feels so fucking good."

"I'll say …" he mumbled before his tongue found its way into my mouth.

We kissed hard, our tongues fighting for dominance while our bodies continued to move against each other. Edward's chest pressed into mine and his arms wrapped tightly around my back, locking us together in more ways than one. We were so close and everything about it just felt _right_. Our bodies fit perfectly together.

It wasn't long before I felt my release building once again. My moans grew louder, and I swear Edward's arms held me even tighter, if that was possible. His mouth had made its way to my collar bone while my hands were back to tugging his soft hair. I pulled his head back so I could see him, and gazing into the intensity of his crystal clear green eyes set me off again. I continued watching his face as I let my orgasm wash over me. I wanted him to see what he did to me. It wasn't long before he followed, still looking into my eyes and chanting my name, and I felt his warm seed inside of me.

Our movements slowed until they stopped, but neither one of us made a move to disengage our connection. Edward still held me as tightly as ever and my fingers continued their journey through his hair. He eventually laid his head on my chest and sighed contentedly. I kissed the top of his head and rested my cheek against it.

It was all too soon that he started slipping out of me and I could feel the juices flowing as well. I kissed Edward one more time and excused myself to the bathroom to clean up. I also brushed my teeth and pulled out a new toothbrush for Edward to use. I wrapped my robe around me and went back into the bedroom. Edward was lying back on the bed, still naked, with his hands behind his head, eyes closed and a satisfied smile on his face. The sight before me was stunning.

"There's a, um … toothbrush on the counter for you," I stuttered out. His eyes opened and he looked at me with softness in his features. "Do you need anything else?"

"No, thanks." He smiled brighter at me as he walked around the bed, stopped to kiss me, and then made his way into the bathroom. I may have watched my boyfriend's perfect ass until it was behind the closed door of the bathroom.

Snapping out of my ogling, I collected the forgotten strawberries and whipped cream and took them to the kitchen. The strawberries went back into the refrigerator and what little was left of the cream went into the kitchen sink. I turned out the lights and put the deadbolt on the door before returning to the bedroom.

Edward was still in the bathroom so I took off my robe, hung it on a hook and went to climb into bed. I contemplated putting on some pajamas, but remembered the feel of waking up naked in Edward's arms just this morning. I crawled into bed, forgoing the nightclothes.

It didn't take long for Edward to come out of the bathroom, still completely naked, and join me in bed. He immediately snuggled up to me and pulled me closer. The full body, skin on skin contact was divine. Edward's fingers traced light patterns on my back while mine danced through the bit of hair between his pecs. I took a deep breath and inhaled what was now becoming my very own aromatherapy—the pure scent of Edward.

I gave him a light kiss on his chest and put my head down on his shoulder. His hand began stroking my hair down my back as he kissed the top of my head.

"Sweet dreams, my Bella," he sighed.

"Sweet dreams, Edward." I drifted off into my sweet dreams with the feel of his body all around me and his hand still stroking my hair.

**A/N: Reviews are always welcome. Come find me on Facebook (Kitchmill Fanfic) or Twitter (at kitchmillfanfic).**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Edited 4/30/13**

I watched Bella for a while Saturday night, reveling in her beauty and her soft skin pressed against my body. She let out a contented sigh before her breathing evened out and her body relaxed further into mine. I had never felt as at ease as I did when my girlfriend was in my arms.

_Girlfriend_. I felt ridiculous asking her to be my girlfriend earlier, but I think we both needed to know what was happening between us. I wanted to be open and honest with her about everything, and I wanted her to feel comfortable enough to do the same. Asking Bella to be my girlfriend allowed us to relax and be ourselves instead of tiptoeing around our feelings and being nervous.

I wanted Bella to know everything there was to know about me, and I hoped to learn everything about her as well. I was thrilled when she said she wanted us to get together with Alice and Jasper, that she wanted me in that part of her life. I couldn't wait to walk down the street holding her hand, to take her out on a date, to introduce her to my family.

I continued stroking her warm body for a while until a satisfying sleep took over.

Sometime during the night I woke to soft murmurs in my ear. Bella was still wrapped around me but it sounded like she was talking to me.

"What was that, baby?" I asked, looking down and noticing that Bella's eyes were still closed. I snuggled back into her warm body to return to my blissful slumber, only to hear her speaking again.

I swore it sounded like she said "please, Edward … so good." Dirty thoughts crossed my mind and I had to hold myself back from attacking her in her sleep. My erection quickly became painful, even more so when Bella's leg made its way between mine and she pushed her center against my thigh. I could feel her wetness on my leg and really wanted to lose myself in it.

"Fuck," I whispered to the darkness. How was I supposed to control myself after that? I didn't want to embarrass her but I had to wake her up, or at least roll her off of me to keep my control. I wanted nothing more than to be buried inside of her once again.

I gave her a gentle nudge and whispered, "Wake up, beautiful." She sighed and thrust her hips against me again. "Bella?" Another nudge. I really didn't want to take advantage of her, but I was somewhat jealous of this dream she was having. At least I could assume it was about me.

With the next movement of her hips, her hand squeezed my bicep. I tried rolling her onto her back but she mumbled, "Don't go."

"I'm right here, beautiful. I'm not going anywhere." I kissed her cheek and tried to move away when her eyes fluttered and slowly opened.

"Edward," she sighed.

"I'm sorry, baby. I'm not going anywhere, I promise." I kissed her forehead. "I really didn't want to take advantage of you in your sleep."

"Oh my god … what was I doing? What did I say?" Even in the darkness I could tell that her cheeks had turned pink.

"Nothing that I wouldn't have wanted you to do if you were awake," I said with a grin.

"I'm awake now," she said shyly.

Oh, she was going to be the death of me. I wouldn't regret it though … what a way to go. I didn't waste any time leaning back over and kissing her. My hand found its way to her already wet center and began stroking her folds as she moaned into my mouth. Her tiny hand reached between us and began slowly stroking my length and then it was my turn to moan loudly.

Bella kissed my neck and nipped at my ear lobe as we continued our teasing touches. I rolled myself on top of her while her hand continued stroking me and guiding me to her opening. I moved my hand away to be replaced by my cock, rubbing it up and down her wetness and teasing both of us. Bella shifted her hips, leaving no question about what she wanted. I was quickly buried inside of her.

I held myself up on my forearms but leaned down to take one of her heaving breasts into my mouth. We were both breathing heavily as I started sliding in and out. I sat back a bit and looked at her. As always, her beauty took my breath away. Her long hair was spread out across the pillow and the moonlight coming through the window made her skin glow and her brown eyes sparkle. My thrusts stopped as I cupped her cheek and told her how beautiful she was, before kissing her passionately. Her hands were on my back, nails digging into my skin in a most pleasurable way.

We were soon moving against each other again in perfect rhythm. Not fast and needy, but slow and savory. We continued to look into each others' eyes, having a silent conversation that needed no words. There was no way to describe how I felt in that moment. Although the physical connection was amazing and more than I had ever had before, it was more than that. There was an emotional connection, a feeling of belonging here, where everything just felt right.

I hooked my arm under Bella's knee and lifted it up, allowing me to deepen my thrusts. I moaned and Bella gasped, so I immediately released her leg somewhat panicked. "Did I hurt you?"

"No," she breathed. "Do that again."

This time, we both moaned at the deepened penetration. I knew I wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. I needed to feel Bella come undone around me but I couldn't touch her while holding one leg and leaning my weight on the other arm.

"Can you touch yourself for me, baby?" She looked hesitant and embarrassed. "Please," I pleaded. "I need to feel you cum." Slowly, one of her hands dropped from my back to where we were joined and she began rubbing herself in time with my thrusts.

I couldn't help but look down to watch her. "Uhhh, god … baby, that is so hot." Bella started whimpering and I could feel her getting close.

"Harder," she demanded. I complied. A few more thrusts sent us both into oblivion. I came hard and long, stilling myself inside of her and collapsing on top of her. I kissed the crook of her neck as we regained our breathing and her fingers found their home in my hair.

"That feels so good," I mumbled into her shoulder as her nails lightly scratched my scalp. The sex was great, but it was this closeness that made it perfect.

Bella hummed in response and kissed the top of my head. "I must be crushing you," I blurted after almost falling asleep from the soothing movements of her fingers.

"No, I like it." I looked up at her and could see the sincerity in her eyes, so I put my head back on her shoulder and her fingers went back to work. It wasn't long before I felt myself drifting off again.

I must have slept soundly after that, because the next time I opened my eyes the sun was streaming into the room and something was beeping. Bella stirred underneath me and I slowly realized that it was my phone that was beeping from my pants pocket.

"Sorry, it's my phone. Go back to sleep. I'll go turn it off." I quickly got up and threw on my boxer briefs before finding my jeans and pulling my phone out of the pocket. I walked into the living room so I wouldn't disturb Bella as I tried to figure out who was bothering me at seven o'clock on a Sunday morning.

"Emmett," I grumbled to myself when I realized it was a text from my brother. I should have known that he would forget that I was now two hours behind him. I clicked on the text and chuckled to myself as I read it.

_**Mom says you met a girl. I want deets. – Em**_

The curse of being a close knit family, there were no secrets.

_**Yes, would have been nice to sleep in with her instead of being woken at 7. Talk later. – E**_

_**Sorry, dude. Forgot. Later. – Em**_

Figures, now I'm awake.

I tiptoed back toward the bed intent on cuddling up with Bella, but she was sitting up looking all adorable and sleepy, her hair a beautiful mess.

"Sorry about that. My brother can't seem to remember that I'm two hours behind now," I told her as I crawled back into bed and wrapped my arms around her. She immediately curled into my side with a hum. Seconds later, the phone was ringing again. Only this time, it was Bella's.

She laughed as she got out of bed and grabbed her bathrobe. "That's got to be Alice. No one else would bother me this early." I relaxed back in bed while I waited for Bella to finish her conversation. I was pretty sure she was right about it being Alice since Bella was barely getting a word into the discussion.

Bella came back into the room and smiled at me. "Alice and Jasper are going to the diner for breakfast at eight thirty. Do you want to go with them?"

"Sure, that sounds great," I responded but realized that I needed to go home and get some fresh clothes first. "I need to stop home and change first though."

"The diner is just around the corner from your apartment. Do you want to meet us there? Or, I could come to your place after I get dressed if you want," Bella said hesitantly.

I pulled her down onto my lap on the bed and kissed her cheek. "How about you pack some things and meet me at my place. Then, we can spend the day together, and maybe the night. I'm mostly finished unpacking, but I could use your help on a few things. If you want, you can bring your laptop if you have work that you need to do or something."

Bella smiled brightly at my suggestion. I hoped she was planning to pack some toiletries and clothes for tomorrow. "That sounds good," she said as we both started moving about the room. "I'll be over before eight thirty so we can go to the diner together."

"Great." I brushed a kiss on her cheek before picking up the rest of my clothes and getting dressed. Bella walked me to the door and kissed me goodbye. Even though I was going to see her again—for the whole day—in about an hour, I couldn't help but deepen the kiss. She smiled against my mouth before we both pulled away. "I'll see you in a bit," I said before walking out the door.

Making good use of my time away from Bella, I called Emmett on my way home. Emmett and I were very much alike in some ways but polar opposites in others. We were both very family oriented and hard workers, but Em was a jokester where I was more reserved. Our physical appearances couldn't be more dissimilar either. We were both tall, but Emmett had dad's dark hair and dimples and I had mom's bronze hair and green eyes. Emmett had the body of an athlete and I had the body of, well, a musician.

"_Yo, didn't expect to hear back from you so soon, bro,"_ Emmett answered on the first ring.

"Well, once we were up, we decided to go get some breakfast soon. I'm on my way back to my place so I figured I have a few minutes to talk."

"_Overnighters already?"_ he laughed. _"Just kidding, dude. She must be something special."_

Emmett knew my relationship history and that I wasn't one to jump into bed with every woman that came by, so his comment didn't offend me. "Yeah, she is," I replied.

"_So give me the scoop! You know mom's gonna be pissed that you didn't talk to her first."_

"Well, I did tell her yesterday that I met someone, so technically she was the first to know. I'll make sure she knows that it's your fault because you texted me at seven in the morning!" No one wanted to be on mom's bad side. We may be grown men, but you didn't mess with the wrath of Esme Cullen.

"_Yeah, yeah … whatever. Now, tell me about her!"_ Emmett demanded.

I gave him the short version of how Bella and I met and how much time we had already spent together, without any details of the amazing sex, while I let myself into my apartment and relaxed on the couch for a few minutes. I told him about how drawn I was to her, about how beautiful she was but at the same time shy and reserved, and of course that she was a great cook. Finally, realizing that I still needed to shower and clean up, I told him that I had to go.

"_You sound really happy, E. I'm glad. You'd been so restless at home lately. I really hope things work out in Seattle, and for you and Bella."_

"Thanks, Em. That means a lot. I'll talk to you soon, ok?"

"_Yeah, talk to you later."_

It didn't take me long to shower and get dressed, so I straightened up the living room a bit while anxiously waiting for Bella. She arrived looking adorable in a striped T-shirt and jeans, her long hair still wet from the shower, carrying a laptop bag and a small duffel bag which I quickly took from her and put in my bedroom.

I took her hand in mine as we made our way over to the diner, reveling in the feeling of taking a walk with my girlfriend. As soon as we walked in, Alice came running over to hug Bella, as if she hadn't seen her in weeks instead of hours. She also greeted me with a hug, causing me to smile and chuckle at her.

A tall blond guy walked up to us and extended his hand to me. "Don't let the pixie scare you away, man," he laughed. "I'm Jasper."

"Edward," I said, shaking his hand and laughing even more. "It's nice to meet you."

Jasper turned to Bella and gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before we all moved to the booth that Alice and Jasper had already occupied. Trying to be gentlemanly, I motioned for Bella to enter first, but she gave me a timid smile and asked, "Do you mind if I sit on the outside? I get a little claustrophobic."

"Not at all," I told her as I slid into the booth first. Bella gave my thigh a gentle squeeze when she sat down next to me, which surprised me a bit but was far from unwelcome. We all started looking over the menu, although it was pretty standard diner fare.

Alice of course started the small talk as we waited for the waitress to come take our order. "So, Edward, what do you do for a living that brought you to Seattle?"

"Actually, it wasn't my job that brought me to Seattle," I started. "I do freelance computer programming and I work from home, but just decided on a change of scenery."

"So you picked up and moved to rainy Seattle?" Jasper interjected with a laugh.

"Yep," I replied with a grin. "I'm sure you all think I'm crazy, but it just felt right." Thankfully, I was saved from further explanation of just how right it currently felt by the waitress arriving to take our orders.

Once the waitress left, Jasper began poking a bit of fun at Bella and Alice. "You'll have to get used to Alice's forwardness. She and Bella are like a package deal."

"It's actually pretty refreshing," I told him as I picked up Bella's hand under the table. "Since Bella and I have bonded so quickly, it's nice to know that her friends are so welcoming." And with a glance at Alice, I added, "And Alice doesn't scare me." Alice smirked as if that was a challenge, and I held her glare to accept.

"So, let's see … what fun stuff can we tell you about Bells," mused Jasper with a devious grin.

"Jasper," Bella groaned.

Alice quickly jumped into the conversation at that point. "Come on, Bella. It's not like we're gonna tell him that you're such a klutz that you once broke your foot getting out of the shower!"

Bella slunk down in her seat as we all laughed at her expense. I quickly wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. She looked at me, clearly embarrassed, so I kissed her temple and whispered, "I won't let you fall."

Throughout breakfast, Jasper and Alice continued with their amusing stories of Bella's escapades, including getting lost on her way to her first college class and missing half of the lecture, and taking three people down with her in her first and only attempt at yoga. I tried to cheer her up by telling her about my first piano concert, when I blanked on what song I was supposed to play and just played Chopsticks instead. Everyone had a good laugh over that one.

The conversation shifted a bit, and I found out that Alice and Jasper had been together for five years, with Alice declaring that she knew the day she met Jasper that he was her soul mate. I was never one who believed in soul mates, but seeing the way they fit together, finishing each others' sentences, and then looking at the connection that Bella and I had in such a short period of time, I might be coming around to the idea.

Jasper eventually turned on Alice and started comparing her neatfreak tendencies to Monica Geller, which led into about ten minutes of everyone quoting their favorite line from Friends. I made a face at my plate and in true Ross style said, "It tastes like feet!"

Jasper added, "I'm not so good with the advice … can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?"

Bella and Alice looked at each other and simultaneously said, "No uterus, no opinion!" and then busted out laughing.

By the end of the meal I felt extremely relaxed with Bella's friends. I was happy when Jasper offered me his cell number, letting me know I could call him if I needed anything. I also felt like I had their approval, which was definitely something I needed seeing how close they all were. It was nice to fit in comfortably with them, knowing that when we hung out together in the future, things wouldn't be awkward or forced.

We parted ways outside the entrance to the diner and Bella and I started strolling hand in hand toward my apartment. "You want to just walk around for a bit?" I asked her. "Maybe you can show me around the neighborhood since I haven't explored much yet."

"Sure," Bella replied.

We walked a few blocks past my apartment and Bella pointed out various places of interest along the way; the best Chinese take-out, the gym where she does _not_ take yoga, Alice's apartment, a small department store. We kept wandering until we ended up at a small park sitting on the swings together for a while, talking and laughing and kicking up our feet to see who could go higher. I found out that Bella and I shared a love of cheesy movies, like Army of Darkness and Grosse Pointe Blank.

It was a great morning until a loud rumble of thunder struck and the rain started pouring down on us. We were in fits of laughter as I grabbed her hand and started running back in the direction of my apartment.

We ran most of the way back to my apartment, completely breathless and drenched from the rain but still giggling. I looked over at Bella as we reached my building and was once again taken with her beauty. Her T-shirt was stuck to her body, molded to her curves. Her hair was soaking wet, hanging in long waves over her shoulders. And her smile made my heart thunder in my chest.

I stalked closer to her until her back was pressed up against the brick of my building and her wide brown eyes were staring into my soul. I pushed some hair off of her face before leaning in and kissing her fervently, breathing in the mix of her strawberry scent and the fresh rain. When I pulled away, I couldn't help but tell her, "You look so beautiful." I was rewarded with a blush on her wet cheeks and a large smile.

"Let's get inside and dry off," I said as I backed away and unlocked the front door to my building.

We dried off and changed our clothes, tossing the wet stuff into the dryer, and then collapsed on the couch together in exhaustion. I put some mindless TV show on while Bella lay in front of me and I snuggled her close. I couldn't seem to get enough of the closeness, the touching, or the electricity that flowed between us. The rain heightened the strawberry smell of her hair and I breathed in the intoxication. One arm was thrown over her waist and my hand slowly stroked her stomach under her shirt. So comfortable.

I awoke some time later and looked down at my sleeping beauty. I couldn't stop myself from waking her up with gentle kisses on her cheek, neck and collar bone.

"Hey," she looked up at me sleepily.

"Hey," I said with a smile. "I thought you might be getting hungry."

"Mmm, yeah," she replied. "But I'm so comfortable here and I don't want to get up."

I snuggled her tighter. "I know what you mean." I gave her a few more kisses.

Eventually we both got up and I made some sandwiches for lunch. We ate and talked about our morning with Alice and Jasper and laughed at the craziness of those two.

With full bellies and a clean kitchen we made our way back to the couch. I told Bella that I had some work to take care of for about an hour or so and that she should make herself at home. I hooked her up on my wifi in case she needed to work, but she said she was just going to relax on the couch and read for a while. I moved into the large chair and kicked my feet up on the coffee table with my laptop on my legs, my usual work space.

I was able to accomplish some work, even though I kept stealing glances at Bella. She was so adorable lying on her side with her nose buried in her book. And I couldn't help but notice that the arrangement seemed so natural. It was like she belonged here, on my couch, in my life.

When I finally closed my laptop and put it away, I couldn't resist jumping on the couch and covering Bella with kisses. She laughed at my sneak-attack and the sound was music to my ears. To keep it going, my hands found her sides, resulting in a tickle-fest of epic proportions. I finally let up when she seemed to be running out of air from laughing so hard.

We spent the next little while cuddled up on the couch watching The Breakfast Club on TV, both of us reciting the lines with curses that were dubbed out. Could she be any more perfect for me?

Since I had yet to go grocery shopping for more than the basics, dinner consisted of Chinese take-out from the restaurant that Bella showed me on our walk this morning. I made a mental note to get to the store tomorrow so I could make her a proper meal. Or, maybe we could cook together.

We shared our Chinese like we'd been doing it forever, eating with chopsticks right out of the containers, passing the containers back and forth, and even feeding each other at times. Once Bella discovered that I liked baby corn, she picked it all out of the fried rice and fed it to me because she hates it.

I let Bella choose her fortune cookie first, which she eagerly cracked open and began reading out loud. "The one you love is closer than you think." I could see her getting embarrassed at that, so I quickly broke into my cookie to take her off the spot.

"If you want the rainbow, you must put up with the rain." A smile spread across my face. I leaned over and whispered in her ear, "We already put up with the rain, and now I've found my rainbow." She eagerly met my lips and I kissed her with all I had to offer. Our tongues danced together and the wet heat travelled through my body like a raging inferno. I briefly wondered if the spark would diminish over time, or if it would feel like this every time we touched. I couldn't help but hope that it would last.

As we continued kissing, I slowly lowered Bella to the couch and hovered over her. Her hands gripped the front of my shirt and pulled me down. It seems my shy girl was starting to come out of her shell, and damn if that didn't turn me on even more. Her hands reached for the hem of my shirt and I leaned back so she could pull it over my head. Before I could make my way back down to her, she was leaning up and her mouth was all over my chest. Open mouth kisses, tongue and even teeth made their way all over and I groaned at the sensations until I couldn't take it anymore.

I pulled off Bella's shirt and her bra quickly followed. Then it was my turn to latch onto her chest. She arched her back to give me more access and I took it, licking and sucking on one nipple while my hand worked the other.

It wasn't long before the rest of our clothes were shed and I sat Bella on the edge of the couch while I got on the floor between her legs. I put her feet on my shoulders while I kissed and caressed her thighs. She was moaning appreciatively as I neared her center but I kissed around it until she started bucking her hips toward my mouth.

"Tell me what you want, baby," I whispered against her heated flesh while I admired her beautiful pussy.

"I want your mouth on me, Edward."

I hummed in response. "It would be my pleasure." I put my tongue flat against her clit and swirled it around while she moaned and moved herself against me. She tasted divine and I couldn't get enough. I sucked her into my mouth as my finger circled her entrance. When my finger finally entered her, I felt her hands grab my hair. I picked up the speed of my finger pumping and my tongue licking until she was writhing and moaning, her nails scraping my scalp as her fingers tightened in my hair. As soon as I added a second finger, she screamed out and her muscles clamped down on my hand. I continued to lick up her juices while she rode out her orgasm.

I was still licking when she tugged on my hair and told me, "I want you, now." I moved her feet to the edge of the couch and quickly shifted my position so I was on my knees in front of her, my cock at the perfect height to enter her soaked pussy. I rubbed the head against her momentarily, but she reached down and grabbed my hips, pulling me forward to enter her in one thrust. God, confident Bella was sexy as hell.

Her muscles were still contracting as if her orgasm hadn't stopped, creating a vice grip on my shaft. I let out a strangled sound at the feeling. "Uhh … you feel so good," I choked out. "I love when you tell me what you want," I said as I started thrusting in earnest.

"Hard," she whimpered. "And fast." I could still feel her grip on my hips helping to set the pace.

I looked down at her spread out before me and knew I wouldn't last long. Her eyes were closed in pleasure, hair splayed across the couch cushions, and breasts bouncing with each thrust. I reached a hand out and massaged one peak, loving the feel of her soft skin in my hand and the contrast of her hard nipple. She moaned as I touched her and I was having trouble holding back. I put my thumb on her clit and began rubbing insistently. It wasn't long before she screamed and I felt her orgasm take over.

The feel of her muscles contracting around me sent me over the edge and my entire body started tingling as I shot stream after stream into her. Our movements stilled as we both enjoyed the bliss before I dropped down over her and placed small kisses across her body everywhere I could reach.

We eventually shifted so we were laying lengthwise on the couch, still naked, hands still roaming and contented sighs leaving both of us. I had grabbed a blanket and draped it over us while we enjoyed our post-coital bliss. We had been getting to know each other in so many ways over the last forty-eight hours, but I decided there was still more to learn.

"Tell me something that no one else knows about you," I asked Bella.

"Hmm, that's hard, since Alice knows pretty much everything about me." She pondered for a moment, seeming hesitant about something, before deciding on what to tell me. "I guess there's one thing. I've never told anyone that I've been working on a novel."

"Wow, Bella. That's great! Why haven't you told anyone about that before?"

"I don't know. I think I sort of wanted to keep it to myself so I wouldn't be embarrassed when it doesn't go anywhere. I guess it's easier to be disappointed in yourself than it is to have other people be disappointed too."

"Why don't you think it will go anywhere? And, why do you think other people would be disappointed?"

"I'm not sure. I never really thought my writing was that good, but the novel was just something that I wanted to do for myself. I thought if people knew about it, they would pressure me about doing something with it and be disappointed if I didn't, but if I did try to sell it and failed then they'd have another reason to be disappointed in me."

"Obviously I've never read your writing, so I can't comment about how good it is, but you seem to have some very genuine friends who I really doubt would ever be disappointed in your choices or in you. Disappointed _for_ you, maybe. But not disappointed _in_ you." I kissed the top of her head while my hands stroked her silky hair.

"Thanks," she said, looking up at me with a small smile. "Ok, my turn …" her smile turning devious. "Tell me about your past girlfriends."

Oh, she's a tricky little thing! I thought she was going to ask the same question I asked. Not that I have anything to hide from her, but I chuckled at the unexpected nature of her request. "Ok, what do you want to know?" I prompted.

"I don't know … How many? How long did you date them? Whatever comes to mind, I guess. You know I don't really have any history to speak of. I just want to know more about you."

"First of all, at some point we'll get back to 'don't _really_ have any history.' I have a feeling there's still something to be told." I smirked and she blushed. "But, you know I'm willing to tell you whatever you want to know. I guess I'll just start with the basics and you can ask whatever." I kissed the tip of her nose and she smiled.

"Sounds good," she confirmed. I continued running my hands over her back and hips while I pondered where to start. Something about touching her seemed to keep me grounded.

"Let's see … I've only really had three girlfriends before you; Tanya, Lauren and Victoria. I pretty much had my nose in either my books or a computer throughout high school, so I didn't date much other than the obligatory prom and homecoming. I met Lauren during my freshman year of college and I think it was more of the idea of having a girlfriend rather than the actual person, you know?" Bella nodded in response. "She was my first, well, everything. Looking back, I doubt we ever really had anything in common, but even just the three months we were together helped bring me out of my shell a bit. Guess I have to thank her for that."

"Maybe I should thank her, too," Bella noted. "So, how did it end?"

"I surprised her by showing up at a frat party after I told her that I couldn't make it, and found her with her tongue down some other guy's throat. The worst part was that I wasn't really even upset about it. I think that's how I knew that I was never really invested in the relationship. It was easy to move on, and it gave me some perspective of what was really important. Sure, having someone to hang out with was nice, sex was nice, but I wanted there to be feelings and emotions involved."

"That makes sense," she offered.

"I guess that's why I didn't worry about looking for another girlfriend for a while. I figured that looking could end up making me see every potential relationship through rose colored glasses, rather than seeing what was really in front of me. And, I was good with that for a while. I went out on dates here and there, but none of them went past a second or maybe third date before I realized that there really was no connection.

"By senior year, I got a little lonely. I had my buddies but by that point they all had long term girlfriends, so they would spend most of their time with their girls. I broke my own unofficial rule and started looking for a girlfriend because it seemed like the right thing to do. Victoria was in some of my classes so I'd known her for a few years. She was attractive and popular and always seemed like the life of every party. I got up the nerve to ask her out one day after class and things just sort of fell into place for us.

"We lasted until a month after graduation, about six months in total, before we realized that we both wanted vastly different things out of life. I had already been doing freelance work before graduation, so it was a natural extension for me to keep that up, and I loved being my own boss—in charge of my own hours, in control of how much money I made, and with no one telling me how to do things. Vicky wanted to climb the corporate ladder as fast as possible. She found a great job in the city and wanted us to share an apartment near her office. She couldn't understand why I wanted to live on the outskirts of where everything was happening. I just wasn't interested in going to a bar every night with her co-workers, and she wasn't interested in sitting home with me while I played music.

"It seems kind of silly that an additional ten minutes for her commute ended up showing us the bigger picture. We split up on friendly terms, although I never really saw her much since we didn't run in the same crowds."

Bella seemed to be quietly processing everything I said, so I gave her a moment in case there was anything else she wanted to know. Before I launched into my Tanya story, I asked her if she wanted to move to bed since it was getting late. I handed her my T-shirt to throw on and told her to go get ready while I cleared up the remnants of our take-out dinner. She was already minty fresh and bundled under the covers—sans T-shirt, I noted since it was on the dresser—when I came into the bedroom.

I took off my boxers and tossed them into the laundry basket before climbing into bed and pulling Bella close again. She hummed in appreciation as I resumed stroking her back and hair, her hands running light circles over my chest.

"So, I guess you want to hear about Tanya now," I started.

"Of course," she giggled. "I like hearing about what made you into the wonderful man you are today."

"I think you need to take that up with my parents," I noted. "I'm not sure my ex-girlfriends had much to do with that." She laughed at my deflection, but I started in on the Tanya story quickly.

"After my relationship with Vicky came to an end, I figured I'd give it a rest again. That lasted until Emmett decided that I was never going to meet anyone if I stayed in my apartment alone all the time. Honestly, I wasn't unhappy but I saw his point so I let him start dragging me out every now and then. I met Tanya one night when I was out with Em and his friends from work. Tanya was the cousin of one of the women that joined us that night, and it seemed that Tanya had been dragged along just as much as I had.

"That's probably what got us started talking—sharing our 'loserville' stories. She was just getting over a bad breakup, which in hindsight should have been a glaring red stop sign. Regardless, we seemed to hit it off, so we started seeing each other occasionally.

"One month led into the next and things were pretty comfortable for a while. We were both content with more low-key activities and it was nice to have someone to share things with. After about a year of dating, I started noticing little things that were making me stop and think about the relationship on a different level. We both preferred staying at my apartment, so it was no surprise that she had slowly accumulated more stuff at my place. But I think my wakeup call was when her mail started showing up there.

"I knew it shouldn't have been a big deal because I guess that was technically the next step. It just bothered me that we had never talked about it and she was making some pretty big assumptions about our future. When I asked her about it, she said she had just figured it was easier, but it didn't take her long to transition into marriage talk.

"I cut her off with that conversation, telling her that I wasn't ready to talk about that. Of course, I really just needed to have some time to think about it on my own. It's not that I hadn't pictured myself getting married and starting a family. I mean, I was brought up respecting family values and I have parents who love each other completely and set a wonderful example. But once I started comparing what Tanya and I had to what I see in my parents' relationship, I knew she wasn't the right one. What we had was more of a deep … friendship. Sure there was physical attraction, but there was no fire, no great love, no feeling of 'I'd do anything that this person asks of me.'"

I took a breather and glanced down at Bella, noting the depths of her eyes burning into mine. Already I could feel it. The feelings were stirring inside of me, like nothing I had ever felt before. I wanted to protect her and worship her, make her laugh and hold her when she cried. I wanted to play music for her, take her to a concert, and share iPod headphones in the park.

Thankfully, Bella broke through my reflection. "So, what happened?"

"My parents threw a party for my grandfather's birthday and the whole family was there. I spent more time watching my parents than I did talking to Tanya, or anyone for that matter. I watched how my father naturally gravitated toward my mother, how he got her a drink or some appetizers before she even asked, how she looked into his eyes with the same carefree love that I'd always seen. It hadn't diminished one bit in twenty-eight years of marriage.

"When I looked at Tanya after that, I knew that she wasn't the one. As hard as it was to give up on the comfort of an eighteen month relationship, I decided that it wasn't fair to either of us to drag it on when I knew in my heart that I would never marry her."

"I can't imagine she took that too well if she was already talking about getting married."

I had to laugh at that. "You got that right. Let's just say that there were a lot of things broken in my apartment by the time she left."

She grimaced. "Yikes."

"Yeah," I sighed. "So, that was over a year ago, but basically brings you up to date." I punctuated that statement with a kiss. "Anything else you want to know?"

She looked thoughtful for a minute before deciding. "I think that was enough … for tonight. Thanks for telling me all of that."

"Anything for you, beautiful." Part of me was hoping she didn't relate that statement to my earlier confession of what love should feel like, but part of me was hoping she did. "How about we get some sleep now?"

"Sounds good," she said as I leaned over and turned off the lamp. We both snuggled in closer, feeling the connection through every touch-point of our bodies. It didn't take long for sleep to claim me with my girl safe in my arms.

* * *

**A/N: Reviews make me happy!**

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	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Edited 4/30/13**

Waking up in Edward's arms again was a new kind of heaven. I had slept better in the last three nights wrapped up with him than I had at any other time in my life. But I knew things were moving way too fast. I couldn't deny the emotional or physical connection I had to him, but for someone who never had a real relationship before, this was pretty scary. How could I already be so dependent on him?

At some point today I would have to leave our little cocoon and go back to my reality. I wanted nothing more than to stay in this comfort forever, yet I didn't want Edward to feel smothered. He had just moved to Seattle a week ago and practically had a live-in girlfriend already! After what he told me about Tanya last night, I knew this was too much for him. He was probably just too polite to say anything about it. Combining my fear of moving so fast with what he must be feeling was going to be a recipe for disaster.

I decided that I would stay just for the morning, and then find some excuse to spend tonight alone. We still had our date planned for tomorrow night so it wasn't like I wouldn't see him again … unless he came to his senses when I leave today. That's just a chance I'd have to take to allow us each some space to breathe.

For now, I was just going to enjoy being in Edward's arms, in his bed. I snuggled in deeper before I heard his deep chuckle. "I know you're awake. Good morning, beautiful." He planted a chaste kiss on my bare shoulder.

"Mmm, morning," I responded with a wide smile, looking up into his sleepy green eyes.

"I was just going to start some coffee. Stay and relax for a bit." He kissed my cheek before crawling out of bed and putting on some boxers. I immediately felt the loss of his arms and body, and my body protested against the cold air left behind.

I got out of bed and put on some clothes from my bag, then took a few minutes in the bathroom for my morning routine. Walking quietly into the kitchen, I took in the exquisite sight before me. Black boxer briefs were the only thing covering the flawlessness of Edward. His copper hair was messier than usual, in testament to last night's activities. The muscles of his back rippled under his skin as he reached into the cabinet for coffee mugs. His broad shoulders were screaming at me to run my hands over them. The smallest portion of his waist had two adorable dimples sitting just above the waistband of his underwear and I had to resist the urge to put my tongue in those dents. A perfect ass sat under the material, chiseled and adorable at the same time. Just below were the backs of his thighs, long and lean yet muscular and strong. Even his bare feet were attractive.

I must have stared for a bit too long, because as I started to look back up his body I realized he had turned to face me. His smirk told me that he knew I was enjoying the view. "See something you like?"

I just smirked back and sauntered over to take a coffee mug from him. He pinched my ass as I moved past him to reach for the coffee pot and I gave a little yelp and a laugh, swatting him on the rear in retaliation.

Edward offered a few breakfast choices, and I settled on a banana, still considering when and how I was going to leave. He eventually went to get cleaned up in the bathroom and came back in some basketball shorts and a T-shirt. We both settled down in the living room with our laptops and got to work.

I logged on to my company's server and started downloading my new project, setting up folders and finding some resource materials. We both were busy with work for an hour or so, stopping only to refill coffee cups, before Edward broke the comfortable silence and asked if he could make me dinner tonight.

"Oh, um …" I stammered. "I actually was thinking of heading home soon. I have some things I need to do today."

"Oh." He seemed surprised. "You could come back tonight," he offered with a shrug of his shoulders.

His reaction was perplexing. I was sure he would need some space. Regardless, I knew I needed a bit of time away to process everything that was going on between us, maybe even talk to Alice or my mom. "Can I take a raincheck?" I smiled, but I could feel my cheeks heating.

"Of course," Edward said. "We're still on for tomorrow night though, right? I owe my girlfriend a proper first date." He was smiling from ear to ear. How could any girl say no to that?

"Definitely. I'm looking forward to it." I really was. "I probably should be going pretty soon though. I have some reference materials at home that I'm going to need for this project, so I probably won't be very productive without them."

"Oh." There was the defeated look again, his strong shoulders sagging. I didn't like that look on his handsome features. "Let me know when you want to go and I'll walk with you. I was going to go to the grocery store today anyway. I'll go on the way back from your place."

"Edward, you don't have to walk me home."

"I know. I want to," he said with his adorable smirk. At least the smirk got rid of the sad look from a moment ago.

"Ok, fine. I'm just going to finish up a few things and then get my stuff together."

About twenty minutes later, I had everything packed up and ready to go. Always the gentleman, Edward took my laptop bag and duffle bag to carry as we left his apartment. He took my hand with his free one as we made our way down the street. The ever present electricity remained between us while our hands were connected. Walking with him like this was so comfortable, just like yesterday on the way to the diner, on our walk around the neighborhood and running through the rain. His large hand engulfed my smaller one, making me feel safe and protected.

All too soon we reached my apartment building. Edward walked me to my door and deposited my bags just inside. He shuffled nervously for a moment before asking, "Call me later?"

"Sure," I agreed.

His warm hand brushed along my jaw and cheek until my eyes lifted to his. The green blazing back at me caught my breath before he leaned in and captured my lips in an engaging kiss. Even without tongues involved, the fire of his kiss shot through my system. It ended much too soon for my liking, however I reminded myself that I needed the time alone.

Only inches from my lips, Edward whispered, "Have a good day, beautiful." Before I could respond, he was headed down the hall and disappeared into the stairwell.

Sighing to myself, I slowly closed the door after I couldn't see Edward's retreating form anymore. My body sagged against the wall as thoughts of the last three days played over in my head. This smart, fun, beautiful man had come into my life and turned it upside down. The connection between us swept me off my feet. After a lifetime of not feeling much for any guy I had come across, I felt inseparable from Edward and had lost my virginity to him within hours of meeting.

Of course, the sex was great. But there was so much more to it than that. Even just the gentle touches, playful nudges and cuddling all felt like they meant more. Our conversations were stimulating, our banter funny. Even the silences were comfortable. I had never been attracted to someone on this level before.

I felt like I could completely be myself. I could tell him anything and he didn't judge me. He was encouraging when I told him about the novel I was writing, and even more importantly he was open and honest about his past relationships. Part of me was insanely jealous of his previous relationships, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that each one had shaped him into the person he was today; someone who was sure of himself and seemed to know what he wanted out of life.

I thought about the way that his piercing gaze made me weak in the knees. Like he was looking into my soul and I was completely bare before him. It made me realize that I _wanted_ him to see into my soul. Somehow, he had already touched me deep inside and it only made sense that there would be no secrets between us.

I had no idea what all of these feelings meant, only that I needed to sort through them some more before I saw him again. For now, that would have to wait. I had to push everything aside for a while and get back to work.

Finally, I pushed myself off of the wall and retrieved my laptop to get back to business. My latest project would keep my mind occupied for the time being.

I managed several hours of work and made great progress without letting my mind wander too much, stopping only for some yogurt and a granola bar along with my endless bottles of water. I was mentally exhausted by the time I looked at the clock and realized that it was already three thirty. My mind and body needed a break, so I headed into the bathroom for a hot, relaxing shower.

The shower worked its magic on my aching muscles, but my mental state wouldn't compromise. I found myself working overtime to try to think of anything other than Edward. It seemed that all thoughts led back to him. I wondered if he was missing me as much as I seemed to be missing him. I thought how nice it would have been if he was waiting in my living room for me. Remembering how I felt yesterday, cuddled up on his couch reading a book while he worked, stealing glances at each other, caused a calmness to overcome me. At the moment, I couldn't remember why I thought it was best if I was alone today.

Slipping into my comfy clothes after drying off, I grabbed my phone with the intention of calling Alice for some advice. I got comfortable on the couch and unlocked the phone screen, and was surprised to see a text from Edward waiting for me.

_**Missing my girlfriend. Hope you had a good day. – E**_

It was sent about fifteen minutes prior, while I was in the shower. He had told me that he wanted us to be honest with each other, so if he could admit that he missed me already, I guess I could own up to my feelings as well. I typed a quick response.

_**Had a productive day. Miss you too. – B**_

Before I could get sidetracked again, I dialed Alice figuring she would be home from work by now. She answered on the first ring.

"_Had a feeling I'd be hearing from you today._"

"Enough of you and your feelings, Alice! I need advice!" I all but barked into the phone.

"_Whoa, calm down girl! What's wrong? What did Edward do? I was so sure he was perfect for you," _she sighed.

"That's just the problem," I lamented. "He _is_ perfect. Too perfect."

"_Um, Bella? I think I'm missing something."_

I let out a deep, calming breath. "I don't know, Alice. He really is wonderful. He's smart and funny. We have a lot in common. He's gorgeous obviously," I added with a chuckle. "He says and does all the right things. We've spent so much time together already and I feel so connected to him, but don't you think it's too soon … too fast?"

"_What does Edward think?"_ she asked.

"I'm not sure," I admitted. "He hasn't specifically come out and said that things were moving too fast, and he certainly gave the impression that he wanted to spend more time with me, but it's just something he said about his ex-girlfriend that has me worried." I went on to explain what Edward had told me about Tanya and how she wanted to move in with him and get married but he wasn't ready even after a year. Alice listened patiently while I told her everything, even how he texted that he missed me earlier.

"_Bella, if you want my honest opinion, I would have to say that it sounds like you're the only one who thinks things are moving too fast."_

"What do you mean?"

"_Well, he told you the other night that he wanted you both to be honest about everything. So, you should have no reason to doubt him. If you think about it, he told you everything about the ex because you _asked._ At the same time, he gave you no indication that he felt that way about you. In fact, if anything, it sounds like he's happy to spend all of his time with you."_

I thought over Alice's words for a minute before responding. "So, you think I'm overreacting? You don't think this is moving too fast?"

"_Honestly? I think it only matters if _you_ think it's moving too fast. Who's to say what's right or wrong for any two people, other than those two people?"_ Wow, she had a point there. _"Do you remember when I met Jasper and I told you after spending a few hours with him that I was going to marry him someday?"_

"Yeah," I sighed. "You knew right away that he was the right guy for you. I guess I just feel like I have no way of knowing if Edward is really right for me since I have nothing to compare it to. I don't even know what all of these feelings I have are."

"_The good news is that you don't have to make a decision today. If you want to see more of him, then see more of him. If you feel like you need some space, then take it. But if you're feeling smothered, I'm pretty sure that Edward would want to know that. Honesty, right?"_

"You're right again, Alice. Considering I miss him already and it's only been a few hours, I definitely don't think 'smothered' is the right word for how I'm feeling." I smiled to myself, recalling the feel of being "smothered" by his body in my bed the other night. Definitely not a bad thing.

"_Do you want to come over tonight? I can kick Jasper out and we can have a girl's night."_

"Thanks, but I think I'll pass. I'm just going to take some time and sort through my feelings and figure out where to go from here."

"_Alright. You know where I am if you need me."_

"Thanks, Alice. I don't know what I'd do without you."

I hung up with Alice and felt much better about the revelation that "too fast" was a relative term. I still didn't know if things were in fact moving too fast for me, but at least she talked me down from jumping to the conclusion that I was smothering Edward. With that out of the way, I decided that I could focus on what it was that I wanted.

I busied myself by heating up some leftover lasagna, and then turned on the TV to occupy my mind for a while. I settled in to watch a Mel Brooks marathon, figuring the comedy would ease my tension. I was well into the second movie when I gave up and decided to try to sleep. Sitting on the couch alone just kept reminding me of how much more comfortable I would have been if Edward were here, his arms wrapped around me, laughing with me.

The cold sheets felt foreign to me as I tried to get comfortable in bed. Rolling around for several minutes didn't offer any relief from my discomfort. It wasn't until I rolled out of my usual spot and over to the extra pillow, the pillow that Edward had slept on, that I realized what was missing. His scent enveloped me with a feeling of rightness. I buried my nose in the pillow, trying to harness the feeling of Edward's comfort from the scent while my mind spun, trying to determine why this was so much more comfortable than my usually empty, perfectly acceptable bed.

I let the thoughts race around my head for a while but they all kept coming back to the same thing. Edward was comfort. Edward was home. Edward was completion.

Glancing at the clock, I decided there was only one way to quell these feelings tonight. I jumped out of bed and grabbed my phone from the coffee table before snuggling back under the covers with Edward's pillow on my lap. I had to trust that Edward would be honest with me if this was too much for him, and I had to be honest about my own feelings. Right now, I just needed to hear his voice.

Even though it was ten thirty, Edward answered on the first ring.

"_I was really hoping you'd call tonight, beautiful."_ His velvety voice held a hint of relief, and I sighed out loud at the realization that he just might miss me as much as I missed him.

"I just wanted to hear your voice," I admitted. "I hope I didn't wake you."

"_No, I haven't been able to settle down enough to try to sleep yet."_

"So, what have you been doing with yourself all night?"

"_Just rearranging more stuff in the apartment, setting up the music room, and playing guitar for the last hour or so. That usually helps me unwind, but it didn't seem to be working tonight."_

"Oh, why not?"

"_I think I was missing you, because hearing your voice has calmed me down much more than the music had been."_

A shy smile spread across my face at Edward's confession, so I added my own. "I actually tried to go to sleep a little while ago, but couldn't seem to get comfortable. I realized what I was missing when I ended up on your pillow. Next thing I know, I'm dialing the phone."

"_My pillow … I like that."_ I could hear the smile in his voice.

We chatted for a while about nothing of importance and I could feel my body relaxing into the bed. Our voices had lowered to near whispers as time wore on, as if we were lying in bed together instead of talking on the phone. I clutched Edward's pillow to my chest and rolled to my side, content with his soft voice in my ear and his enticing aroma filling my nose.

I heard Edward's deep chuckle and realized that I must have yawned yet again. _"Why don't you get some sleep, sweetheart? We'll talk tomorrow."_

I sighed, admitting defeat. "I wish you were here, cuddling up with me."

"_I do, too. More than you know,"_ Edward whispered. _"Sweet dreams, Bella."_

"Sweet dreams, Edward."

I reluctantly ended the call and tossed the phone onto my nightstand, keeping the pillow tight against my chest. A few deep breaths filled with Edward's scent sent me off to a peaceful slumber filled with dreams of green eyes and wild hair.

On most days, I didn't need an alarm clock and Tuesday was no exception. I was still holding tight to Edward's pillow when my eyes cracked open and saw the light of another September morning peeking through the blinds. Admitting to myself that it would have been better to be waking up in Edward's arms, I didn't linger on the thought for long. Instead, my thoughts shifted to excitement for our first official date tonight.

Sure, there were also nerves for our date, but the excitement was definitely winning out. I felt so comfortable with Edward already that the butterflies didn't translate into nervousness. They reminded me of how it felt to hold his hand, or kiss his lips, or hear his smooth, sexy voice in my ear.

I started to plot out what I was going to wear on our date, when I realized that I had no idea where we were going tonight. I figured I'd text Edward later to get an idea. I didn't have too many fancy clothes, but figured I could call in my reinforcement known as Alice if the occasion warranted something outside of my wardrobe.

The day started out like most others, with a pot of coffee and a bowl of cereal before settling down at my desk to dig into work. My phone dinged at ten fifteen alerting me to a new text.

_**Good morning, beautiful. Can I pick you up at 5:30 tonight? – E**_

5:30 was going to be a little early if I needed Alice's help. I decided I would need more details first.

_**Good morning to you, too, handsome. Where are we going? – B**_

_**Not telling, but dress casual and warm. – E**_

Casual I could do on my own, so I figured the early time wouldn't be a big problem.

_**Surprises make me nervous, but I'll be ready at 5:30. – B**_

_**Nothing to be nervous about. Told you I won't let you fall. Can't wait to see you. – E**_

_**That just made me more nervous! Still, looking forward to seeing you, too. – B**_

"I won't let you fall?" What the heck was that supposed to mean? I hope he wasn't planning to take me bungee jumping or something. I wasn't nervous about going out with Edward, but now I was nervous about whatever he had planned. I briefly wondered if I should pack a bag and plan on spending the night at his apartment, or maybe I would invite him in at the end of our date. I really had no idea what proper etiquette was on a first date when you were already sleeping together.

I dug back into work to try to keep my mind off of this mystery date. As much as I was enjoying the early stages of this relationship, I knew I had to keep up my work ethic. I'd been surviving on my own for quite some time now and my job and financial security were important to me. I made a modest living but enjoyed my career and definitely didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that. My salary was enough to pay for my apartment and my car, which were my two main living expenses, while still allowing me to sock away a nice amount of money each month. There weren't many extravagances that I needed in life, unlike Alice and her shopping addiction, so my savings was more of a safety net. I always figured that someday I might want to focus on writing full time. It would be nice to have some money saved up to be able to take that chance.

Just as I was about to take a break for lunch, a familiar rhythm of knocks sounded against my door. "Come on in," I called out, knowing it was Alice on the other side. She waltzed in and headed right for the kitchen, grabbing two plates before moving back to the living room and setting them down on the table alongside a bag from the deli.

"I come baring gifts," she finally stated with a flourish of her tiny hands. "Lunch is served, and we can talk about your date tonight." A Cheshire grin graced her face, although her antics didn't surprise me in the least. Showing up unannounced and demanding to chat were par for the course.

I moved to the kitchen and took a bottle of water out of the refrigerator for Alice, and brought it to the coffee table with my own before plopping down on the couch next to her with a sigh. "Turkey and American on rye with Russian dressing," she announced, handing me a sandwich.

I may have drooled a bit as I started to unwrap my favorite delicacy. Alice made quick work of unwrapping her sandwich and tucked right in. I took a large bite of my own. "There's not much to talk about," I said around a mouthful of sandwich. "Edward hasn't even told me where we're going."

"Hmm," Alice contemplated as she finished chewing. "Really, the 'where' is not what I'm here for. How are you feeling about the date in general, after yesterday's mini freak-out?"

Of course she would want to check on me after that conversation. She was such a wonderful friend.

"I'm actually doing much better, thanks to you." I gave her a wry smile, which she returned. "I thought a lot about what you said, about right and wrong being determined by the people involved, and I think I've come to the conclusion that I'm not going to fight this if it feels so right. And, most importantly, I'm not going to second guess what Edward's thinking."

"Wow, that's quite an epiphany in such a short time," she retorted.

"Talking to Edward last night helped, too."

Alice looked perplexed when she asked, "I thought you were going to take last night to think by yourself?"

"I was. But then I decided to listen to my best friend's advice." She looked confused as she bit into her sandwich, so I continued. "'If you want to see more of him, see more of him …'" I reminded her. "I couldn't sleep last night and I decided that I wanted to talk to him. So, I called him."

"And I guess that went well?"

"Yeah, really well." I sighed. "He said he missed me as soon as we started talking, and told me that speaking with me was helping him calm down before going to sleep. Just hearing that from him eased my nerves quite a bit. We ended up talking for a while until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.

"It's just weird for me, you know? I've always been so independent, but to suddenly feel such a connection to someone, like I _need_ him here, it's just not me. I don't want to lose myself in any relationship, while at the same time I feel like I can be _more_ myself with him. I'm not making any sense, am I?" I sighed, staring blankly at the black TV screen in front of me.

"Bella, you're making total sense." Alice took my hand and turned fully toward me on the couch. "Look, I don't know Edward that well, but from what I've seen and heard, he's a wonderful guy. Think about Jasper and me for a minute. We can finish each others' thoughts and sometimes we don't even need to speak with words. But have I lost any part of myself since I've been with him?" I shook my head. "If anything, he brings out the best in me, makes me a _better_ me."

"Yeah, that's kind of how I'm feeling right now," I admitted.

Alice suddenly jumped up and started clapping her hands. "He's your lobster!" she exclaimed.

At that, we both broke into fits of laughter. "I don't know about that, Alice," I said once I had finally recovered.

We finished our sandwiches and wrapped up the trash before Alice asked what I knew about my date tonight. I told her the little information that I had, and that I was most nervous about him reminding me that he won't let me fall.

"Guess we'll just have to wait to see what he has up his sleeve, huh?"

"Yep," I agreed. "I'm just looking forward to spending more time with him tonight."

"Do you need any help with your wardrobe?" she asked.

"I think I can handle this one, but thanks."

Alice gathered her belongings and I walked her to the door. "Call me if you need anything. We're not going anywhere tonight, so I'm here if you need me."

"Thanks, Alice." I hugged her tightly before she slipped out the door. "You're the best."

She smiled and waved as she walked down the hall. "Any time, sweetie!"

I busied myself with a few more hours of work before calling it a day and starting to prepare for my date. In the shower, I scrubbed and buffed and shaved every available surface while letting the hot water ease my body and my nerves. Out of the shower, I picked out a sexy pink lace underwear set to go under my casual ensemble of jeans and a long sleeve fitted pink T-shirt. I let my hair dry naturally in waves and put on my favorite pair of broken in black Chucks.

Looking in the mirror, I thought, _this is me. As long as I'm being myself, I won't lose myself._ Satisfied with my appearance as well as my comfort level, I got settled on the couch with the book I'd been reading to pass the time until Edward was due to pick me up.

I must have lost track of time in my book, because I startled and jumped off the couch when I heard a knock at the door. I quickly shoved the bookmark inside my book and placed it on the side table, taking one last glimpse in the mirror before making my way to the door. A glance through the peep hole showed a stunning Edward, and I opened the door and drank in the sight of him. The butterflies took up residence in my stomach again, but this time I was sure they were from want and need, not nerves and discomfort.

* * *

**Next chapter will be their first date! Any ideas where Edward is planning to take Bella?**

**Please review!**

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	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Edited 5/1/13**

"Bella," he breathed. "You look beautiful." He leaned over and put a hand on my waist while brushing his lips across my cheek before placing a gentle kiss there. My skin burned where his lips had touched me, the butterflies in my stomach doing a happy dance.

"Thanks," I replied, feeling the heat creep into my face at the compliment. I took a brief moment to enjoy the sight of Edward in his light-wash jeans, black cotton shirt which was mostly covered by a black hooded sweat shirt zipped to mid chest, and his black Dr. Marten boots with the telltale yellow stitching. Damn, those boots were sexy! "You look pretty great, yourself," I noted, biting my bottom lip to try to hide my grin. I opened the door wider to let him in.

Edward stepped around me and put his hands in his pockets nervously, smiling shyly. "If it's okay with you, I planned something before dinner. But, if you're hungry now we can eat first."

"No, that's fine. Let me just grab my things and I'll be ready to go." I picked up my purse and my favorite purple UW sweatshirt, throwing my cell phone into my purse as I made my way back to the door. "Is this okay?" I asked, holding up the sweatshirt. "You said to dress warm, but I wasn't sure if I'd need a jacket or anything."

"Actually, I think that will be perfect." Edward held his hand out for me as we walked through the door.

I wasn't sure what to expect for this date, but I certainly didn't expect the shiny Volvo XC60 that Edward was leading me toward. It was parked only a few spaces from my building's entrance and, ever the gentleman, Edward led me around to the passenger side and opened the door for me. After closing the door, he quickly jogged around the front of the car and got in the driver's seat.

I don't know why his car caught me so off guard, but it seemed to be a glaring difference between Edward and me. I knew that Volvos weren't cheap, and while it wasn't a flashy sports car, it was worlds away from my basic Honda Civic. Trying to control my nerves, I reminded myself that Edward had not only been in my apartment, but he had stayed over without complaint. Clearly, my studio was much less expensive than his two bedroom apartment but he didn't seem to mind. I tried to put my thoughts out of my head for the time being. The difference in our social status would only become a problem if I let it be one. Besides, I loved my car. It was my first big purchase as an independent college graduate with a new job.

"You're awfully quiet over there," Edward stated, breaking me out of my thoughts. I looked around and realized that we were already quite far away from my apartment, heading north on I5. Edward picked up my hand and twined our fingers together, pulling them to rest on his lower thigh and gently rubbing his thumb across the back of my hand.

"Sorry, just wondering where we're going."

He gave my hand a little squeeze. "We'll be there in a few minutes."

From the steering wheel controls, Edward turned on the radio and some soft music filled the car.

"Did you get a lot of work done today," I inquired.

"A fair amount," Edward answered. "I haven't taken on too many new projects lately, since I was planning to move, so my work load is a little light. I have a conference call with one of my larger clients later this week though. I expect he'll have a few more things to throw my way."

"That must be nice … getting to pick and choose what you work on." I thought about my job briefly, and how nice it would be if I could turn down some of the more boring projects that were assigned to me.

"Yes and no. It's nice to be able to slow things down when I want, but it also means that I don't have a steady paycheck. If I say no to a project, I don't get paid and I also may not be asked to do another one for that client. So far, I've been lucky to have mostly steady work and some very loyal clients."

I nodded, understanding the predicament. "And, it really doesn't matter where you work from?"

"It really doesn't matter. With video conferencing software and being able to share computer screens, I have yet to meet a client face to face."

"Wow."

Edward smiled and released my hand, putting the car in park. I looked around, having not realized that we arrived at our destination. Panic immediately set in as I looked at the building in front of me. "Edward, we're at an ice rink," I blurted dumbly.

"Yes, we are." He seemed confident in his choice of activity, with a boyish smile on his face.

"I really don't think this is a good idea, unless you want to spend most of the night in the ER," I replied, wringing my hands together in my lap. "I'm not good with two feet on the ground. Adding metal blades and a slick surface seems pretty dangerous."

"Bella, do you trust me?" His green eyes implored me to respond honestly. All I could do was nod. "I promised you that I won't let you fall." He stopped my nervous fidgeting by taking both of my hands in his and holding them tightly. "I won't let go of your hands. In fact, I'll enjoy the time even more because I get to hold you." The sincerity in his expression took me off guard.

All of my breath left my lungs in a whoosh. "Okay," I nodded, more for my own resolve than in answer. "I'll give it a shot." Edward's smile beamed at me across the car before he leaned over the console and kissed my lips gently, leaving them burning for more. How did he always turn me into a stuttering mess with just the simplest of gestures?

He got out of the car and came around to open my door, offering me a hand while I climbed out. After closing the door, he opened the back door and reached in to grab a backpack. At my questioning look, he said, "My skates and some other things," shrugging nonchalantly. We walked to the entrance to Highland Ice Arena holding hands.

"So, this obviously isn't your first time ice skating," I noted as we waited in line to pay the entrance fee.

"No, it's not my first time," he chuckled. "My parents used to take us a lot when we were little, and I played ice hockey for a little while. But, the ice skating rink was also a popular high school hang out back in Chicago. Not that I got out much in those days, but when I did, that's where I went."

We made our way over to the rental counter and Edward handed over the rental ticket and asked the guy for size eight figure skates. I looked at him, confusion clearly showing on my face at how he would know my shoe size, and he just shrugged and took the proffered skates from the counter before leading me over to the seating area.

Setting his backpack on the ground, Edward gestured for me to sit on the bench next to him. I quickly took off my sneakers and slipped my feet into the skates. Before I could start to tie them, Edward was kneeling in front of me with his hands on the laces.

"The secret to figure skates is that you want them to be tight, but not restrictive," he stated while slipping the laces around the upper loops. "They should be supportive, but not so much that you can't move. A lot of people make the mistake of tying their skates too tight. Bend your ankle for me." He tapped the back of my leg so I leaned it forward to check his handiwork. "That looks good because you can move a little." He repeated the process on my other skate before pulling his own out of the backpack and putting them on.

When we were both laced up, he handed me my sweatshirt to put on. "Even though we're inside, it'll be cooler out there," he said, gently lifting my hair out of the back of the sweatshirt once I had slipped it over my head. The gesture sent shivers down my spine, but not from being cold. "Here, I also brought these for you." He handed me a pair of black stretchy gloves. "Just in case," he said with a wink, reaching into the backpack once more and retrieving his own set of gloves. The wink sent another ripple of shivers down my body.

"So, do you think you're ready?" he asked, now towering over me in his skates while I still sat on the bench.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I answered.

He took both of my hands and pulled me up to stand, quickly moving his hands to my hips to steady me. I took a few seconds to acclimate to the feel of the skates before looking at him nervously and pleading, "Don't let go of me."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

With that, he turned around and put his arm around my waist and then we were moving toward the ice rink. We slowly made our way through a set of glass doors and I immediately felt the temperature drop when we entered. It wasn't freezing in there, but definitely cooler than in the seating area. I could see how the extra sweatshirt was a good choice; not too bundled up but enough to keep the chill out. And the gloves, well I was sure I'd be glad for the gloves if I did end up heading down toward the ice.

The rink was brightly lit with loud, upbeat music playing. I could see smiles on the faces of most everyone on the ice. Edward led me to an opening in the boards where everyone seemed to be entering and exiting. There weren't many people on the ice, but I could see everything from little kids holding their parents' hands to those who were much more accomplished. I steeled my nerves, determined that if those little kids could do this, then so could I.

Turning himself around to face me, Edward took a step back onto the ice while I stood right outside the door. He grasped my waist with both hands before telling me to lean on him and step onto the ice. I put my hands on his shoulders and did as instructed with first one foot, then the other.

"Okay, I'm going to move you. For now, I don't want you to do anything at all except relax and let me pull you," Edward said. I nodded and he started skating backwards with both of my hands in his, pulling me forward.

This was such an unusual feeling, sliding along the mostly smooth ice. My ankles seemed to be holding steady so I wasn't wobbling from side to side. Edward was expertly skating backwards with his eyes on me the whole time, yet somehow completely aware of his surroundings. I let myself relax a bit while he guided me around the rink.

After a few laps around the ice, Edward asked how I felt. When I told him I was feeling okay so far, he challenged me to actually try skating a bit. His hands moved back to my hips while mine rested on his strong forearms.

"You're going to push with one foot and glide with the other, instead of trying to walk," he told me. I did as instructed and surprisingly felt pretty stable. Trying again on the other foot ended in the same result. We made it about halfway around the rink with Edward's smile growing the entire time. "Maybe you're more suited for skating than walking," he joked. "How does it feel?"

"Oddly enough, it feels pretty natural."

He slid his hands from my waist back to my hands and we kept moving. I thought for sure I would stumble with the lessened support, but we continued to move in sync around the ice until Edward pulled me to a stop along the boards. My body crashed into his and he caught me with a laugh and a kiss to my forehead. His hands rested along the small of my back, rubbing gently under my sweatshirt while I burrowed into his broad chest, enjoying the intoxicating scent.

"Do you think you're ready to try on your own?" he asked, quickly adding, "I'll still hold your hand."

I bit my bottom lip nervously while I thought about it. Looking up at Edward, his expression had changed from playful to deep. His gloved thumb gently tugged my lip from between my teeth before he said in a low, gravelly voice, "When you bite your lip like that, it makes me want to bite it."

Before I could respond, his mouth was on top of mine with his teeth tugging on my lip and then sucking gently. His tongue followed, the tip touching mine, and I groaned in the back of my throat as a wave of lust shot through me. My hands were on autopilot, grabbing fists full of his hair through my thin gloves. Edward pulled me closer as we continued our kiss, lost in our little bubble.

Laughter somewhere behind me eventually broke the trance and we separated, chests heaving from lack of oxygen, his green eyes locked on mine and holding me hostage. Edward tugged on my hand and signaled that we should get back to skating.

We both were skating forward this time, my right hand in Edward's left, our gloves doing nothing to temper the electricity between us. I skated pretty well, with only a few stumbles here and there with Edward catching me every time, as promised. He guided us around other skaters with ease, and once I relaxed we were able to carry on a normal conversation. My nerves had lessened quite a bit and I found that I was actually enjoying myself.

"This is nice," I commented, smiling up at Edward.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it. I was worried there for a little bit, but I really wanted to share something that has happy memories for me with you."

"Thank you, Edward. That means a lot to me."

We were both quiet then, taking in the sights and sounds of those around us, listening to the music thumping through the speakers, and enjoying the closeness of our bodies gliding together. My mind wandered back to my thoughts from yesterday, about our relationship being too much, too soon. I knew I was in a better place now, but I felt the need to confirm this with Edward.

"I was worried yesterday that we were moving too fast," I blurted out, my mind once again unable to control what spewed from my mouth. Edward looked contemplative for a minute, opening and closing his mouth several times with no words coming out while we continued to glide around the rink.

He had a concerned expression on his face before finally asking, "Do you want to go sit for a few minutes?"

"Sure," I answered, nervous about where this conversation was going to go.

We made our way around the rink to the open gate and carefully stepped off the ice. Edward put his arm around my waist to make sure I didn't fall. Walking in ice skates was very different from skating, and I was glad for his support. He led me over to a table in the snack bar and asked if I wanted hot chocolate before walking to the counter to place the order.

I fidgeted nervously with my fingers in my lap at the table while keeping an eye on Edward. He turned to look at me while waiting for the server to make our drinks, and graced me with one of his heartbreaking crooked smiles. I returned his smile as best as I could, but it was forced through my nerves and I knew Edward could tell as I watched his grin drop a bit.

He returned to the table and placed a steaming cup of hot chocolate in front of me. I muttered my thanks but couldn't look him in the eye. He sat across from me with his drink in one hand, and he placed his other hand on the table, palm up, gloves removed. He wiggled his fingers, signaling his desire for my hand, so I removed my glove and gave in to the need. Placing my hand in his, I relaxed instantaneously at the skin to skin contact and I watched Edward's shoulders settle as well. Something in his touch was so calming, and it seemed like we both needed the instant comfort that came with it.

I blew gingerly on my drink, eager to take a sip and distract myself from the conversation we were about to have.

"Bella," Edward started, hesitating, waiting for me to meet his eyes before he continued. "I'm glad you told me that you were concerned." He squeezed my hand in reassurance. "I just want to know if you do feel like we're moving too fast, or if you thought that I thought we were moving too fast."

I looked at him in confusion for a minute before understanding his question. "I think it was a little of both, actually."

"Was?" he interjected.

"Well, yeah … I think I have everything worked out in my head now." I smiled at him, slightly embarrassed by my confession as well as by being so vague. I knew I needed to share the crazy going on in my mind with him.

Edward chuckled. "What I wouldn't give to know what's going on in that head of yours," he said. "Since I can't read your mind, you're going to have to give me a little more to go on." He had a pleading look in his eyes, while his thumb rubbed gently across my knuckles.

"I guess after you told me about your last girlfriend and how things were moving too fast for you after being with her for a year, I jumped to the conclusion that our relationship had to be giving you the same feeling." Edward tried to say something but I held my hand up to stop him. "This will be easier if I can just tell you everything before you say anything." Edward nodded so I continued.

"Once I had that thought in my head, I started to wonder about my lack of experience with relationships and whether it was too fast for me. I don't have any other relationships to compare, and I think I was just going off of typical society standards." Edward took a sip of his hot chocolate but his eyes never left mine.

"So, of course, I did what I always do … I called Alice. She reminded me of something that I should have known all along, that you would be honest with me no matter what. She pointed out that if you were uncomfortable with the situation, you would have told me."

Edward smirked. "I knew I liked Alice for a reason."

"Yeah, well there's a reason I keep her around," I kidded. "Anyway, once I got that through my thick head, she told me that nobody's standards mattered except yours and mine. That, if we were comfortable with the way our relationship was going, then that was all that mattered. And later on, when I looked around my apartment, I couldn't help the feeling that something was missing … that you were missing. When I called you last night, it was because I had finally realized that it was okay to be missing you, and that I wasn't going to lose myself in our relationship if being with you made me a better me."

Edward quickly moved around the table and planted his lips on mine, cradling my head in his hands like I was precious glass. I tasted the chocolate on his lips as I sank into his touch.

Just as quickly, he was back in his seat and holding my hand again. "My turn now?" He quirked an eyebrow at me. I smiled and nodded at him.

I took a few sips of my now cooled chocolate delicacy while Edward launched into what he had to say. "After you left yesterday, I had a feeling that telling you about my relationship with Tanya might have had something to do with it. I just want to clarify one thing … what happened between Tanya and me has nothing to do with the relationship that you and I are building." I could feel myself visibly relax at his words.

He looked straight in my eyes before continuing, and I could see the sincerity in his jade pools. "I can't predict the future so I have no idea where we are headed, but I do know that I want to keep exploring this with you. I feel like I can completely be myself with you, no hiding or changing who I am to fit the situation. It seems like there was a reason we stumbled across each other at the restaurant. So, I'm not going to fight against something that feels so right to me.

"Believe me when I say I'd be more than happy to spend all of my time with you, but I do understand if you need time or space. I'm glad you told me how you were feeling yesterday, and even more relieved that you were missing me as much as I was missing you last night." He squeezed my hand and gave me a shy smile.

"I know you said that you don't have any relationship experience, but trust me when I tell you that none of my exes could have prepared me for you. Honestly, I feel like we're on an entirely different level here."

I smiled into my hot chocolate at his words, knowing I wasn't alone in my feelings. "Okay, so where do we go from here?" I asked.

"Where ever we want … as long as we keep talking to each other, I think we'll figure it out. Together."

"But for now," he added, "how about we go back out onto that ice rink?"

My smile grew as he came around to help me up, dropping our cups into the trash before leading me back to the ice.

We skated around for a little while longer, and I even attempted skating without Edward's hand for a bit while he skated circles around me, telling me that I was a natural. We laughed and joked and fell back into our comfort zone until the free skate session was over. I had to admit it was easier than I thought it would be, but maybe that was because I felt so safe with Edward.

Walking felt like a foreign affair once the skates were off, but once again, Edward held me close as we returned my ice skates and made our way back to the car.

"I had a really good time," I told him, after he helped me into the passenger seat and then got into his seat. "Thanks for sharing that with me."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I liked being able to show you part of my childhood."

He started the car and backed out of the parking space smoothly. "I wanted to go to a restaurant that Jasper told me about," he said. "It's not fancy or anything, but it sounded like a great food selection." He seemed nervous about the restaurant choice, and I wondered if he thought I expected five star treatment.

"Edward, I should probably tell you now that I'm not exactly a fancy restaurant kind of girl." He let out a breath and I chuckled.

"I'm glad to hear you say that. Not that I don't want to spoil you rotten, because I do, but like I said before, I like that I can be myself with you. My parents are 'fancy restaurant' kind of people, but I've always been more comfortable with casual and relaxed. Right now, as long as I'm with you, I'll be happy."

I wondered if his words would always make me so gooey inside.

We pulled up to The Epicurean and my mouth watered. I'd never been there, but I had heard great things about it. I knew that Alice and Jasper went there frequently.

Knowing Edward and his manners, which may have come from all of those "fancy restaurants" his parents took him to, I waited for him to come around and open my door. He took my hand to help me out of the car, and then placed his hand on the small of my back, sending tingles all the way to my toes, while we walked to the entrance. It still amazed me what the smallest touches from him could do to my body.

We were seated quickly, although I didn't miss the hungry look that the hostess gives Edward as she greeted us. Edward, on the other hand, seemed oblivious as he led me to the table with his hand still on my back. He pulled my chair out for me and helped me scoot in before taking his seat next to me. I loved that he sat close to me instead of across from me.

The hostess handed us our menus and a rather long beer list, and told us that our server would be with us shortly. She gave Edward one more look, licking her lips, before leaving us. When I turned to Edward, I realized that he was watching me the whole time and not paying any attention to the hostess. My insides warmed a bit more at his interest.

Edward commented on the impressive beer selection before asking me what kind of beer I like.

"I don't really know. I'm not much of a beer drinker. I like sweeter drinks," I told him.

"Can I pick a beer for you? They have some that you might like."

Feeling adventurous, I agreed to let him make a selection for me and then turned my attention to the menu.

"Wow, so many choices," I commented. "I haven't even gotten past the appetizers yet!"

"I'm such a sucker for appetizers," Edward added. "I could eat them instead of a meal any day."

My smile must have been infectious at Edward's words, because when I looked at him, I realized he must have been thinking the same thing I was.

I offered my suggestion. "How about we try a bunch of appetizers tonight and come back another time to try their main courses."

"I like the way you think," Edward said with a wink.

We both continued to scan the menu, tossing out suggestions for appetizers to share. Edward shot down my suggestion of crab fries, saying they were "just filler" while I declined his offer of onion rings. I could do without onion breath tonight. We finally settled on loaded nachos and mild buffalo bites. I was thankful that no bones meant less chance for me to make a mess, although I still would have to be careful with the nachos.

When the waitress came to take our drink orders, Edward ordered some kind of Scotch Ale for me and a Pale Ale for himself. He informed the waitress that we were also ready to order, and then placed the order for our appetizer-meal. She collected our menus and left the table.

"Scotch Ale?" I questioned.

"Scotch Ales are malty and dark," he explained. "Extra malt is what gives beer its sweetness. I like pretty much all kinds of beer, but I ordered a Pale Ale so you can taste the difference. Pale beer is heavier on the hops, which makes it more bitter. The only way to learn what kind you like is to try a bunch of different ones."

"Wow, I'm fascinated. How do you know so much about beer? You don't strike me as a heavy drinker."

"I'm not, really. I actually prefer beer for the taste, rather than the alcohol content," he said with a grin. "There's a restaurant and bar in Chicago that Emmett and I used to go to all the time. They have a huge selection of beers from around the world, and rotate their stock pretty frequently. If you go regularly, they give you a card to get stamped with all the countries and types of beers that you've tried. When you fill up the card, you get a plaque on the wall. It's actually quite the prestigious event for the regulars."

"Do you have a plaque?"

"No," he chuckled. "I think it's something like two hundred beers that you have to try."

He continued to tell me about several different types of beer and what others I might like. I was intrigued by his suggestion of something called Lambic, which I learned is a Belgian beer, because it's brewed with fruit to make it extremely sweet. I made a mental note to try those at some point.

The waitress returned with our drinks and told us that our dinner should be ready shortly. I glanced at the dark beer in front of me nervously. I hoped it wouldn't hurt Edward's feelings if I didn't like it. He lifted his glass toward me so I did the same. "To our first date," he said with a wink.

"Cheers," I said as I tapped my glass against his. I tentatively brought the glass to my lips and inhaled slowly, letting the scent assault my taste buds. Edward watched me anxiously, while he took a sip of his beer. "It smells better than I expected."

I finally took a small sip and was surprised by how much I liked it. "Wow, that's really good," I complimented after licking my lips, watching Edward relax in his seat. I took another sip to enjoy the flavor.

"Do you want to try a sip of mine to see the difference?" I nodded, but he angled his head toward my water. "Take a drink of water first. You can't get much more contrasting than these two types of beer. I don't think you'll like this one, but I always think it's good to know the difference. It's nice to know what you like about a beer, or be able to identify what you don't like."

He finally handed over his beer after I had a few sips of water. I did the same as before, smelling before tasting, and this time my nose turned up at the scent. It was nowhere near the smooth, almost chocolaty scent of my beer. I took a tiny bit of the liquid into my mouth and quickly handed the glass back to Edward. He laughed at the look of disgust on my face.

"Thanks for teaching me what I don't like," I joked. "Duly noted, hoppy equals no-go." I took another drink of my yummy beer to get rid of the bitter taste in my mouth.

The waitress returned with our food and some extra plates, asking us if we needed anything else. Edward responded that we were all set, and we both dug into the delectable food. I piled my plate with a few buffalo bites and some nachos with toppings before grabbing my fork and knife to start working on the buffalo bites.

Conversation flowed easily between us. Edward asked more about Alice and Jasper, seeming eager to get together with them again. He explained that he had spoken to Jasper last night to get restaurant suggestions, and they seemed to hit it off pretty well. We slipped back into our comfort zone, laughing and eating and drinking. I picked all of the jalapeno slices off of my nachos, and Edward eagerly took them off my plate. Edward didn't bother with the blue cheese dressing for the buffalo bites so he slipped that onto my plate.

We both groaned with full stomachs long before the plate of nachos was empty. "Glad we didn't bother with dinners," Edward said, "but that really was delicious."

I agreed whole-heartedly. "I'd definitely come back just for the beer and nachos, but I feel bad that we didn't even try any of the real food."

"You know, they say that the true test of a good restaurant is the appetizer. I think this one passes with flying colors. Do you want any dessert?"

"God, no," I exclaimed. "I couldn't eat another bite. That beer was pretty filling, too."

The waitress returned, asking if we needed anything else, and Edward just requested the check which she pulled out of her apron pocket and handed to him. Edward pulled a few bills out of his wallet and placed them inside the bill folder.

"Shall we?" he asked, holding his hand out to help me stand. His arm went straight to my waist once I was upright and he led me toward the exit. I noticed the hostess once again eyeing my boyfriend, but his arm around my waist pulled me tight to his side as he leaned over and kissed my temple. That's right, lady … he's mine!

The drive back to my apartment seemed to pass quickly, but maybe that was because my internal ramblings were going crazy about whether I should invite Edward in or not. He held my hand while driving, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on my skin.

"You're thinking awfully hard about something over there, Bella."

"I was just thinking that I had a really good time tonight, and I didn't want the night to end yet," I said with a shy smile. I paused for a breath and to gather my courage.

"Do you want to go somewhere else?"

"Do you want to come inside?"

We both spoke at the same time, and then laughed as the tension was broken.

Edward looked at me after parking the car. "I'd love to come in."

My heart fluttered at his response. I had fully given in to my instincts. I wanted to be with him, spend time with him, cuddle with him, be intimate with him, and I wasn't going to let my insecurities stand in the way.

We quickly made our way upstairs and inside my apartment. As soon as the door latched behind Edward, I turned and positioned my body up against his and inside his arms. With my head on his chest, I said, "I had a really good time tonight."

His hand was stroking the hair on the back of my head, while his other arm was around my waist, anchoring me to him. "So did I," he told me. The vibrations of his voice through his chest set the butterflies aflutter in my stomach.

I tilted my head up and Edward's lips met me halfway, tongues tangling together quickly while his warm, wet mouth consumed my senses. I swallowed his groan as my hands tangled in his hair, and then gently pulled away from his mouth.

"Can you stay tonight?" I asked, slightly more sure of myself after our earlier conversation. I didn't even mind the flush of my cheeks at being so bold.

Edward pushed some hair behind my ear. "Yeah," he said quietly with the corners of his mouth turned up, before I grabbed his hand and led him to my bed.

Clothes were quickly discarded while our hands roamed. The feel of his skin under my fingertips caused a pool of wetness to gather in my center. Edward pushed my hair over one shoulder while he laved attention to the other shoulder with his lips and tongue. I was sure I would never get used to the way his touch caused my body to quake and heat.

Our lips met again in a passionate dance, hard and soft, tongues thrusting and tentative, hot and wet. We ended up on the bed together, my back to his chest, his arms surrounding me. He kissed my neck and shoulder, while I reached back into his soft, copper locks. His hands roamed, one on my breast, pinching, massaging, rolling, and one on my center, touching gently and spreading my wetness.

"Oh god," he moaned into my shoulder, as his fingers moved deeper into my heat. I could feel his cock twitching against my ass.

I was moaning like a wanton slut at the sensation overload; his hot, wet mouth moving over my back, his large, warm hand at my breast, and his fingers playing my center like a precious instrument.

His husky voice was at my ear. "I want you so bad, Bella."

"Mmmm …" was all I could respond. I lifted my leg and moved it back over Edward's thigh. He shifted himself to between my legs and moved back and forth a few times, covering himself in my arousal. I whimpered each time the head of his cock hit my most sensitive spot.

"Is this okay," he whispered as the tip of his cock entered me.

"Yesss," I breathed, as he pushed himself further inside.

His fingers were back on my clit as soon as he started thrusting gently. I knew I wouldn't last long. As much as I had enjoyed the hard and fast desperation from a few nights ago, this gentle pace was all consuming, setting every inch of my body on fire. The way his body surrounded mine only increased the intensity of our connection. I only wished that I was able to touch him more, but he didn't seem to mind.

My moans became louder and uncontrollable as my body started to tighten. I wanted nothing more than for Edward to fall off the ledge with me. His fingers were still playing my body, and his mouth was sucking and biting my shoulder. I reached between our tangled legs and gently cupped and rolled his balls.

"Ahh …" he moaned through broken breaths. The pace of his thrusts stuttered and then resumed.

"Cum with me, Edward," I whispered as my orgasm continued to build.

He pinched and rolled my clit between his fingers and then I was falling. I screamed his name as I gave in to the sensation. A few curses fell from his mouth during his last spastic thrusts and the feel of him emptying inside of me prolonged my pleasure.

Edward's hand and body stilled against me at the same time, holding me close. We lay together, spent, chests heaving, and breathless for an eternity, long after he had softened and slipped from my body.

Soft kisses resumed on my neck and I melted into his touch. I knew it was late, but I asked for what I wanted anyway. "I think I could use a shower. Do you want to join me?"

"Mmm," he hummed into my skin. "That sounds great."

We both slipped out of bed and into the bathroom. I took an extra towel out of the closet while Edward got the water started. A wet, naked Edward was even more beautiful than I had imagined it would be. Our shower was full of innocent touches and caring embraces. Edward washed my hair for me, and I don't think any chaste touch had ever felt better. I took in every muscle of his body as I lathered him, memorizing the hard planes and masculine features.

After drying off and brushing our teeth, we climbed back into bed together, warm bodies cuddled, needing the feel of skin to skin.

"Goodnight, beautiful," Edward whispered as he kissed me gently. I hummed in response, my body too spent to say anything else. I drifted off to sleep wrapped tightly in Edwards arms, feeling like nothing else in the world mattered.

* * *

**A/N: I'd love to hear what you think!**

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	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Edited 5/1/13**

I could not believe that it had only been one week since I had met Bella. It felt like so much longer, but not in that "time is dragging" kind of way. How could I possibly feel like I knew her soul, and she mine, in such a short amount of time? Everything with Bella was so different than any other woman I had ever known.

Our first date on Tuesday had turned out so much better than I could have expected. Although our serious conversation was pretty heavy for a first date, it was definitely needed. What's more, I thought it was incredibly freeing. Both of us were able to open up and relax even more after deciding that we were ok with how fast things were moving.

I glanced in the mirror as I finished getting ready for our night out tonight. My light green button down shirt was casual enough with the first two buttons open and the sleeves rolled up. Black jeans and my black boots would be comfortable for a night in a bar. Bella and I were meeting Jasper and Alice in a little while. I was really looking forward to spending some time with them.

Jasper had been really helpful earlier in the week when I needed a restaurant suggestion for my date with Bella. We had spoken again since then, and he came over last night to hang with a few beers and some music. He was someone I could definitely see myself hanging out with on a regular basis, and the bonus was that I knew he was important to Bella.

After our first date, I cooked dinner for Bella on Wednesday night. We enjoyed some quiet time in my apartment, watching a movie after dinner, and then she spent the night wrapped in my arms. Bella left on Thursday morning so she could spend the evening with Alice, and although I didn't see her all day yesterday or today, we were constantly sending text messages and I spoke to her before going to sleep last night. She was thrilled for me when I told her about the new contract I had landed after my conference call yesterday, and I commiserated with her on not enjoying the project she was currently working on. Tonight, she was planning to stay over so we could go hiking in the morning.

I plopped myself down on the couch with a glass of water and flipped through the TV stations while I waited for Bella. I was going to walk down to her apartment to get her, but she insisted she would meet me here so she could drop off her bag for tomorrow. I was anxious for her arrival, and nothing on TV was holding my interest.

My phone chimed with a message alert and I jumped to grab it.

_**Leaving now, see you in 5. – B**_

_**Can't wait, beautiful. – E**_

My hand was anxiously running through my hair, waiting for Bella's warmth to complete me. Her shy smiles and blazing chocolate eyes never failed to set me on fire and my heart rate picked up knowing we would be together for at least the next twenty-four hours.

The front door buzzer sounded much sooner than I expected. Maybe Bella was as eager to see me as I was to see her. I pressed the entry button and opened the apartment door for her. Bella appeared from the stairway door and once again my breath caught at the sight of her. She was wearing a tight fitting, silky blue blouse that showed off her curves and her creamy skin perfectly. The V of the neckline was entirely too enticing. Her dark jeans made her legs look like they went on for miles and miles. Mahogany waves cascaded down her shoulders and framed her gorgeous face.

"Hi," she said breathlessly as she reached the open door, her eyes bright and excited.

"Hey," I responded, taking her overnight bag off of her shoulder with one hand and cupping her cheek with the other. I bent down to catch her eyes. "You look amazing, Bella." I captured her lips with my own before she could respond. "Come on in," I offered, closing the door behind her. I quickly put her bag in my bedroom before returning to the living room to offer her a drink.

"I think I'll wait until we get there. I'm looking forward to some appetizers," she said with a chuckle and a glint in her eye. "So I don't want to fill up now."

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her body close. "Have I told you how perfect you are?" I asked with a wicked grin before kissing her roughly and pulling her tighter to me. I could feel her smile against my lips and we both started laughing. She hugged me back and rested her head on my chest, while I marveled at the feel of her fitting within my arms. Her head fit right under my chin and my arms circled her waist completely. It was as if she was the puzzle piece I didn't even know I was missing, which now made the whole picture complete.

I offered her my arm as we made our way out of the apartment, and once we got outside I held her close, not wanting any space between us.

We arrived at the bar a few minutes later and picked an out of the way booth while we waited for Alice and Jasper. Remembering our breakfast at the diner, I slid into the booth before Bella so she could have the end seat. She smiled in thanks.

I handed Bella the menu that was on the table so she could start looking at the bar food, which we were both looking forward to. While she perused the food list, I took a look at the beer list.

"Do you want me to try picking another beer for you?" I asked her after I noted a few that she would like. "Or, are you going for the mixed drinks tonight?"

"Hmm …" She thought for a minute before responding. "You did so well last time, so I guess I'll try another one of your choices. I really was surprised that beer could taste so good."

I smiled at her and held her hand in mine under the table.

We sat and people-watched for a few minutes while we waited for our friends to arrive. Bella snickered when I commented negatively on a blonde who was practically falling out of the top of her skin-tight dress. I told her that was in no way sexy to me.

"Oh, come on … I don't buy it," she said. "I thought all guys liked that!"

"Nope," I said, popping the p. "It's way too obvious. Leaves nothing to the imagination." I leaned into her neck, getting my mouth close to her ear while one hand roamed gently up her side, lightly skimming the underside of her breast. "This top shows your curves," I whispered huskily, "but knowing that only _I_ get to see what's underneath it makes it a thousand times more sexy to me."

I heard her sharp intake of air before I gently closed my teeth and lips around her ear and then pulled back to see her face. I knew I had accomplished my mission of making her feel sexy when I noticed her flushed cheeks and dark, glassy eyes.

The waitress chose that moment to stop by our table, so I placed our drink orders, figuring we would wait for Alice and Jasper to order food. I noticed the waitress eyeing me a bit too much, so I put my arm around Bella's shoulders and pulled her close, hoping she would take the hint.

Thankfully Alice and Jasper had just walked in and spotted us, so after taking a moment to get settled, they placed their drink orders as well.

Once the waitress left and we all exchanged pleasantries, I suggested to Bella that she ask Jasper his opinion on our previous topic. Her cheeks flamed again, but she seemed to like the idea.

"What topic? What did we miss?" Alice asked, bouncing in her seat. I had to chuckle at her enthusiasm for life itself. We could have been talking about funerals and she would have been just as exuberant.

Bella took over then. "Edward and I were discussing whether the blonde over there …" she nodded her head in indication. "Is sexy or not."

Jasper took a quick glance before jumping right in. "No way. Too obvious."

I grinned triumphantly, turning to Bella. "See, I told you. Bella didn't believe that most guys don't find that appealing."

We joked around a bit more at the blonde's expense while deciding on food for the table. Alice and Jasper switched seats so Jasper would be across from me to share a basket of hot wings. Alice and Bella planned to share quesadillas and crab fries. We were still laughing when the waitress returned with our drinks and took our food order.

Bella looked questionably at her beer bottle. "Trust me," I nudged her shoulder.

"But, it's light colored. Won't it be bitter like the one you had the other night?"

"This one will definitely not be bitter," I promised.

Alice and Jasper were watching with looks of trepidation as Bella brought the bottle up to her mouth and took a hesitant sip.

"Oh my god! It's like a Granny Smith apple in a bottle!" she exclaimed. "Alice, you have to try this. Edward, this is really _beer_?"

"Yep. I told you, there are so many different kinds. This one is a cider beer. I take it you like it?" I smirked at her.

"Mmmhmm," she said, as she leaned over and kissed me good, allowing me to taste the cider on her lips.

"Yum," I agreed lowly when she backed away with a smile.

"Wow, this is really good!" Alice interjected, breaking us out of our lust. "I can't believe you actually got Bella to try different beers. She has never liked what Jasper picks. I'm not much of a beer drinker either, but maybe after I finish my Cosmo you can pick one for me."

We talked for a while about different types of beer, with Bella encouraging me to tell them about the place I used to go to in Chicago. That led into a discussion of Emmett and some of his crazy antics, which had everyone in stitches. He used to like to give the bartenders a really hard time, always asking for the most obscure beers that they didn't keep in the bar area, so they'd have to run to the walk-in cooler to find them. Only, when they'd come back, he'd swear that wasn't the one he had asked for and send them back to the walk-in again. Thankfully, he was a really good tipper, otherwise there were many times he would have been thrown out on his ass.

We ate, we drank, and we laughed for quite a while, until someone noticed that there was a band playing. The bar had become rather crowded at some point and we were all rather tipsy. When a slow song started, I asked Bella if she wanted to dance.

"I'm really not much of a dancer," she responded.

"You said the same thing about ice skating, and look how well that turned out," I smirked at her.

She gave a huff before giving in and sliding out of the booth. I took her hand as soon as I was standing and led her to the edge of the dance floor, where I pulled her hand up between us and circled her waist to bring her in close.

We swayed along to the music for a few moments before I buried my face in her neck and inhaled her intoxicating scent. "I really just wanted another excuse to hold you close for a little while," I explained.

"You don't need an excuse for that," she said, as her hand circled over my shoulder, massaging gently as she went.

"Mmm," I hummed before placing a few open mouthed kisses along her neck. Her proximity was driving me crazy and I suddenly wished we were back in my apartment instead of in a crowded bar, especially when Bella's fingers started their slow torture of my scalp. I groaned audibly at that before pulling her lower body tightly against mine so she could feel what she was doing to me. Her quiet gasp let me know that she got the hint.

She pulled her upper body back with a lustful gleam in her eye. "Maybe we should get out of here." Of course she was thinking exactly what I had been thinking. Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but at that point we were both on the same page.

"Your wish is my command," I said before quickly turning back toward the booth and yanking her along with me. "We're going to take off now," I said to Jasper and Alice as I threw some money on the table. "Have a good night!" I said over my shoulder as we hurried toward the door, not even waiting for a response.

We laughed some more as we walked home, and I ended up giving Bella a piggy-back ride to get us there faster. As soon as we stumbled into my apartment and shut the door, we were all over each other. I didn't know or care who attacked who first. Our mouths were fused together as our hands wandered. I was taking in every curve, every inch of Bella with my hands while my tongue danced with hers. I made my way down her neck and across as much of her collar bone as I could, while I felt her hands begin to unbutton my shirt. As soon as it was open, I shucked it off before I went back to Bella's body and roughly grabbed her ass in both hands, pulling her body tightly to mine.

She explored my chest for just a moment before getting to work on my pants. Once the button and zipper were open, she lowered her body along with my pants and underwear. Her mouth left a hot, wet trail down my chest as she went, causing uncontrollable groans to escape my throat. And then, she was on her knees in front of me and all rational thought left my brain. My erection got impossibly harder when I realized her intent as she looked hungrily at my cock and licked her lips.

Her small hands circled me for a moment before she lowered her mouth and began tonguing me from base to tip, swirling her tongue in the slit. I growled loudly, and then gasped as her entire hot, wet mouth surrounded me and began bobbing. I closed my eyes momentarily when the sight of her became too much for me to bear along with the sensations she was creating.

It was then that she switched tactics, sliding her hands around to my ass and urging me to move while she stilled her head. I looked down and saw her looking up at me with her huge brown eyes. She continued to push on my hips until I gave in and began thrusting into her mouth. And then she moaned.

_Holy fuck._

"Holy fuck," I whispered, as I gazed down at her. "You are the sexiest woman I have ever seen." She moaned again, sending the vibrations through my core. I wrapped my fingers in her hair as I continued thrusting into her mouth.

I must have gone a little overboard at one point because I felt her gag around me so I quickly tried to pull back, only to be met with the resistance of her hands on my ass, pushing me forward again. I was moaning and cursing up a storm by then, so when one of her hands slipped between my legs and started playing with my balls, I totally lost it.

The tingling in my spine started, my balls tightened and Bella's mouth closed tighter around me. "Oh, baby …" I moaned, "I'm gonna … _Jesus _… I'm coming … FUCK!" I came in quick spurts down her throat and she swallowed everything I gave her. She continued to suck and lick for a minute after I stilled, before dropping my softening cock and planting several kisses on my hips and lower stomach which made me shiver.

It took me a moment to regain my bearings, but when I did, I quickly grabbed my jeans and boxers which were still around my ankles, pulled them up, and then lifted Bella over my shoulder and ran into the bedroom. I tossed her laughing form down on the bed and followed with my body immediately covering hers.

I kissed her long and deep and hard, while my hands moved to make quick work of the buttons on her shirt. I pulled back once it was open and just gazed at her creamy skin, her breasts still covered by a black lace bra. "Absolutely gorgeous," I murmured before lowering my head to her chest and kissing, licking and nipping my way across and down.

When I got to the top swell of one of her breasts, instead of unclasping her bra, I pulled the cup down and lifted her breast out of it before taking as much as I could into my mouth. Bella moaned loudly at the contact and arched her back, giving me more access. I repeated the process on the other side and then sat back once more to admire her beautiful body.

Looking deep into her eyes, I told her what had been on my mind ever since we discussed the blonde bimbo at the bar. "Just knowing that I'm the only one that gets to see your stunning body makes you the sexiest woman out there. But actually seeing it … I _know_ there's no one more desirable than you."

Her breathing was ragged as my hands continued to massage her breasts and my mouth made a slow trail down her stomach. My lips and tongue lingered around the porcelain skin along the edge of her jeans before I unbuttoned them and lowered the zipper, and removed them along with her panties in a quick pull. While I was down at the edge of the bed, I untied my boots as fast as possible so I could remove them and my jeans and boxers.

My eyes met Bella's once again as she was beautifully splayed out across my bed, chest still heaving and her hair fanned out around her head. I looked her over from head to toe with hungry eyes, my mind still reeling from the fact that this stunning creature was mine. When my gaze landed on her glistening sex, need took over as my mouth was drawn to it like a magnet. My tongue made a long pass between her wet lower lips, groaning as I went with her taste melting in my mouth.

I heard her sharp intake of breath as her hands gripped the back of my head. Looking up, I saw her eyes closed as she enjoyed my ministrations.

"God, baby … you're _so_ wet," I groaned while my fingers got in on the action. "Did sucking my cock turn you on like this?" I had no idea how Bella really felt about talking dirty, but I decided it was time to find out. My fingers gently rubbed the wetness around, teasing but never entering her hot center.

Bella just nodded in response to my question. "Look at me, Bella," I said gently and waited for her eyes to open. "Tell me … out loud … did you like it when I fucked your mouth?"

I watched as her eyes cringed closed momentarily and her cheeks flamed, but she quickly opened them again and met my eyes confidently. "Yes!" she cried. "I like it when you … lose control like that ... I like knowing that I can do that to you." With that, I pushed two fingers inside of her and curled them up to hit her special spot, causing her to gasp.

"Fuck … you are so sexy," I said before my mouth descended back onto her clit. My cock was already twitching, aching to get back in on the action, but that would have to wait. I flattened my tongue, sweeping it up and down slowly as I kept my fingers inside and circled them around. I broke away only long enough to tell her, "I love it when you cum on my mouth and fingers."

My tongue swirled around her clit for a bit, while my free hand splayed flat across her lower abdomen. As soon as I felt her stomach muscles begin to twitch under my hand, my tongue and fingers switched positions. I thrust my tongue inside her pussy as far as possible, listening to Bella's whimpers and moans grow louder. My cock was standing at full attention by then but I was determined for Bella to cum on my tongue. Removing my fingers from her clit, my mouth opened wide so I could use my upper lip and teeth on the sensitive nub while my tongue continued its exploration.

Bella's grip on my hair tightened, her moans increased, and her muscles clenched. I loved the look and feel of her as her orgasm took over. "God, _Edward _… oh … ahh … _Edward_!" she screamed as I tasted a fresh gush of her wetness on my tongue. I lapped up every last drop I could as she recovered, her hands falling off of my hair while her body came down from its high.

I did my best to wipe my mouth off, before leisurely kissing and caressing my way back up to her lips, although she never seemed to mind kissing me after my mouth had been on her pussy.

She looked at me with lustful eyes. "That was …"

"Yeah," I agreed. "Feeling you cum on my tongue … that was the hottest thing ever."

I kissed her with said tongue languidly, all of our previous urgency gone, and we just enjoyed each other for a while. Bella pulled on my shoulders, rolling me on top of her until I tenderly slid inside her heat. We took our time, caressing, kissing, and connecting our bodies and souls until her orgasm claimed her and mine followed shortly after.

Bella eventually got up to clean up in the bathroom, so I went into the kitchen to get two glasses of water to help stave off a potential hangover. I returned to bed first and was lying on my back under the covers when Bella joined me. I held up the covers for her and she immediately crawled in and cuddled up at my side with her head on my shoulder.

We were quiet for a while, just enjoying the closeness while I stroked Bella's hair and she ran her fingers across my chest.

"Can I ask you something?" I said, breaking the comfortable silence.

"Of course," she responded quietly.

I hesitated, knowing this would probably make her uncomfortable, but I had to know. "Do you like the dirty talk, or does it make you uncomfortable?" I asked quietly while my fingers continued working through her hair.

Her body cringed slightly, but enough that I could feel it. I also felt the heat of her cheek against my shoulder. A sigh escaped her before she answered, so I pulled back a bit and lifted her chin with my fingers so I could see her face.

Looking in her eyes, I told her honestly, "I'm not asking to embarrass you … I'm asking because I want to make sure you're happy when we're intimate."

A small smile played on her lips. "I know. It's just, I don't have a lot of experience _doing it_, so I've certainly never had the occasion to _talk about it_."

"Would it help if I told you what I like first?" She nodded shyly. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Ok, so you know that an open and honest relationship is important to me …" She nodded again. "And, I guess I like when that transfers over into the bedroom. Having you tell me what you want is an incredible turn-on. Of course, I enjoy exploring … finding out what causes you to make all those wonderful noises …" I leaned over and placed an open mouth kiss below her ear, resulting in my favorite whimper. "Like that. But when you're verbal about what you like? It drives me insane."

She was full-on grinning at that point. "Wow, that's definitely good to know."

"See?" I jumped right in. "So now I need to know what you like … or don't like." I cupped her cheek gently and stroked my thumb across her jaw.

"Ok, I guess … well, I do like when you talk to me like that," she said letting out a long breath and laying her head back on my shoulder. I didn't fight her need to hide, if that was what it would take for her to talk to me. "I mean, I've only ever read stuff like that before, never actually experienced it, but hearing you say stuff definitely turns me on. And, earlier? You know … well, knowing that _I_ can do something for you that gives you that much pleasure makes me feel pretty good."

I kissed the top of her head and smiled. "Thank you for telling me." She shrugged with her face still buried in my shoulder. "If it's ever too much, you'll let me know?"

"Yeah," she agreed.

"Here," I said, reaching over to the glass of water on the night stand and handing it to her. "I think we both need this before going to sleep since we drank so much."

"Thanks."

She sat up and chugged the water while I did the same, and then I placed both empty glasses back on the night stand so we could curl back up together.

"Can I ask you a question now?" she asked hesitantly.

"Sure."

"Have you … um … ever done that before?" I looked at her questioningly before she started again. "What, um … what you did with your tongue?"

Ahh … _that_.

"No, that was the first time I tried that. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did," I added with a smile.

"I'm thinking I probably enjoyed it a lot more than you did." She laughed.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," I said, rolling a bit so she could feel my erection which had grown quickly in the last few seconds. "I'm getting all hot and bothered just _thinking_ about doing that to you again!" I quickly rolled back and pulled her into my side again, letting my hands wander back to stroking her hair. Although I'd have loved to go another round, I was pretty sure that neither of us was really up for it.

Bella laughed and then settled herself around me, taking a deep breath and letting out a content sigh.

"How about we get some sleep now, so we can go hiking tomorrow?" I offered.

"Sounds good. Goodnight, Edward." She reached up to kiss me one last time, and while we kept it chaste, I did let my lips linger for a moment, humming in contentment against her mouth.

"Goodnight, beautiful."

A peaceful smile played on my lips for some time before I fell asleep, long after Bella's breathing had evened out. I could not remember a time in my life where I had felt so content, so at ease with the way my life was going, and I had a feeling I owed it all to the brunette beauty snuggled securely in my arms.

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	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Edited 5/1/13**

I wasn't sure what woke me on Saturday morning; it could have been the rain pounding against the window, or maybe it was the feather-light touches all along my back and butterfly kisses on my shoulders. Edward's lips caused my skin to tingle everywhere they touched. I hummed in contentment as I returned to consciousness.

Rolling sleepily onto my back, I looked up at Edward through half-lidded eyes. He was so handsome, even more so with his fresh from sleep bronze hair sticking up all over, and a dreamy look on his face. I rolled further onto my side and snuggled into his warm body. There was nothing better than being in Edward's warm, strong embrace.

"Sorry for waking you," he said in his groggy morning voice. "Your skin was just too tempting."

"Hmm … I know the feeling," I said, dragging my tongue across his chest and ending with my teeth on his nipple. He hissed before rolling me onto my back and pinning me down with his body, laughing.

"Damn, woman! You'll be the death of me." He punctuated his statement by grinding his erection into my hip.

"But, what a way to go," I said in my best sultry voice, shifting my body so he fell right where I wanted him to be.

"I think we're going to have to postpone our hike," he said quietly, before dipping his head into the crook of my neck and leaving a trail of wet kisses across my collarbone.

"Mmmmm," I hummed. "Whatever will we do with our time?" I dug my fingers into his hair and held his head to my body.

"I'm sure we'll find something," he whispered when his mouth landed back up next to my ear. I felt a surge of wetness pool between my legs as he sucked on my earlobe. My hips shifted again, lifting and rubbing against his erection. Dual moans left our mouths.

I was feeling bold after our discussion the previous night, and figured that Edward would enjoy it if I took action. Gently, I pushed back on his shoulders before rolling him onto his back, following with my body until I straddled his waist. I shimmied to move the covers out of the way exposing myself to him, but I couldn't deny enjoying the friction that the movement created. By the look in Edward's blazing jade eyes, he was getting pleasure from the motion as well.

Edward's hands were on the side of my ribs, holding me like I was precious, as I leaned forward and kissed him passionately. Our tongues intertwined and retreated, moving so much in sync that I almost wondered if we could read each others' thoughts or bodies.

My hips continued to shift and rotate instinctually, seeking the pleasure that only Edward's body could provide. When the tip of his cock hit my wet center, I didn't waste any time sinking onto it. Edward's grip on my body tightened momentarily, and we both took deep, stuttering breaths.

My body stilled when my thighs met his, enjoying the depth and completion of the circuit. I pulled back and slowly sat up, my hands on his chest, locking eyes with Edward, feeling his adoring gaze right down to my soul. His eyes stayed on mine as I started to gently move above him, and although mine wanted to close in pleasure, I fought to keep my view directed on him.

As my body lifted and dropped and rotated above him, his hands massaged and kneaded my breasts, gently pulling my nipples, shooting pleasure right down to my core and causing me to gasp. Edward's moans filled the silence, but still our eyes never strayed.

I felt as though my body always knew how to do this, regardless of how inexperienced I was. My movements never ceased, instead adjusting in response to Edward's pleasure and my own. When the speed picked up, I had to fight to keep my eyes open. But as if there was some silent agreement between us, my gaze never wavered and neither did Edward's.

His hand moved between our bodies as his hips began to lift to meet mine. Long fingers gently rubbed me in exactly the right spot, and exactly the right way. Moments later I was falling over the edge, pleasure shooting through me in wave after wave of euphoria. I felt Edward's release begin and after two more thrusts, his hands on my hips stilled my movements and his. Still, our eyes remained intent on each other.

Something passed between us in that moment. Our breathing was still ragged and hearts pounding, but I could see into his soul and I knew he felt it too. It wasn't something I could describe, but I knew it wasn't something I would ever want to let go of.

After an eternity, Edward pulled me down and kissed me like never before. There was desperation in his kiss, like I was a drink of water in a hot desert and he couldn't get enough. I kissed him back with the same intensity. We finally broke away when breathing became essential, and I rested my head on his chest while his arms wound tightly around me.

I think I could have stayed in that bubble forever, but the ringing of my cell phone from the pocket of my jeans, tossed somewhere within the room, broke the spell. I started giggling, but never considered moving from Edward's embrace. His laughter bubbled out of his chest as well and his arms never loosened their grip. I wasn't even sure why it was so funny.

The ringing finally stopped and I relaxed while I waited for the chime to tell me that I had a voicemail. Instead of hearing the chime, the phone started ringing again.

Groaning, I pushed myself off of Edward's chest. "There's only one person who calls until I answer and refuses to leave a message," I moaned. "Charlie."

"Your dad?" Edward asked, as I looked around for a shirt, unconcerned about finding my phone quickly since I knew he would keep calling back.

"Yep," I answered as I gave up and slapped my hands against my thighs. Edward scrambled out of bed and over to his dresser, grabbed a T-shirt, then pulled it over my head. As I pulled my arms through, he lifted my hair out of the back. "Thanks," I said, pecking him on the cheek before moving toward the bathroom.

"Aren't you going to get that?" he asked, concern clear on his face.

"Just going to clean up first. Don't worry, it will still be ringing when I'm done. You can silence it if you want."

Edward laughed as I walked into the bathroom. Two minutes later I emerged to a still ringing phone in Edward's right hand. "You weren't kidding," he said, looking at the phone like it was a snake poised to strike.

I took the phone from him and slid my finger across the screen to answer it. "Hi, dad."

"_Bells! I was starting to get worried when you didn't answer."_

"It's only eight thirty in the morning. Sorry, I was a little slow getting out of bed."

"_Oh, sorry honey. I was just hoping to catch you early because I actually have a Saturday off."_

"Really? How come you're not out fishing already?" I asked.

"_Well, I thought since I haven't seen you in a while, maybe we could meet up today. I still have your birthday present for you."_

"Oh, um …" I glanced nervously at Edward who had just returned from the bathroom. "What did you have in mind?"

"_Do you want to meet for lunch at our 'halfway' restaurant?"_ Charlie asked. Several years ago, after too many drives between Forks and Seattle, we had found a place near the middle of the ride where we would meet every now and then instead of one of us making the long drive both ways.

"Actually," I answered, "that sounds good. I have someone I'd like you to meet." I added, glancing at Edward. He returned my smile and reached his hand out. As soon as our fingers entwined, he pulled me until I was sitting on his lap on the end of the bed, his arm around my shoulders.

"_Oh,"_ Charlie stumbled. _"Ok, do I need to bring my gun?"_

"Daaaad," I groaned. "Be nice. Edward's … important to me." Edward's kiss to my temple reminded me _just_ how important he was.

"_You may be a grown woman now, Bells, but you'll always be my baby."_ Charlie huffed. _"I'll try to be nice though,"_ he added as an afterthought.

"I know. Does noon sound ok?"

"_That's perfect. I'll see you _both_ then, I suppose."_

"Yes, you will. See you soon, dad."

After ending the call with Charlie, I explained what my dad had wanted to Edward. I was a little weary of asking him to come with me, not only because we originally had plans for just the two of us today, but I also wasn't sure if he was ready to meet my dad.

"I would love to come, Bella," Edward assured me. "I'm glad you invited me."

"You sure it's not too weird meeting my dad so soon?" I asked him. "I mean, he's the Chief of Police. That doesn't bother you or anything?" I fidgeted nervously with the phone in my hands.

Edward's hand on my shoulder, fingers rubbing soothing circles, reassured me as much as his words. "I'll do my best to make sure he understands how important _you_ are to _me_."

We showered together to save time, but of course ended up taking longer than if we had showered separately. A wet, soapy Edward turned me on just by looking at him, so adding his hands to my wet body did nothing to help the situation. This time, I came on Edward's fingers while he had my back pressed up against the cold tile wall, whispering dirty words in my ear. I returned the favor with my hands, while I bit and licked and kissed every inch of his chest.

After finally emerging from the shower with satisfied grins on both of our faces, Edward made coffee while I dried my hair. I hadn't heard him return from the kitchen over the noise of the hair dryer, so I jumped slightly when his arms snaked around my waist and one hand found its way inside the towel that was still wrapped around my body.

"God, you're sexy," he drawled into my ear as he nipped at my neck from behind. Our eyes met in the mirror and I gave him a shy smile.

"We're never going to get out of here if you keep that up," I reprimanded him jokingly. "Then, what will my dad think of you?"

"You're right, sorry," he mumbled before kissing me on my cheek and then turning around to grab my cup of coffee. "Here, hopefully this will help move both of us along."

"Thanks," I said, abandoning the hairdryer in favor of the liquid jump-start that I desperately needed. Edward still only had a towel wrapped precariously low around his waist. "You better put some clothes on before I lose track of time, too." I giggled.

We were both able to eventually get dressed without too many distractions. Edward said he didn't mind driving, since it would give him an opportunity to learn the area some more so we took his car and I navigated from the passenger seat. He plugged in his iPod and set it to one of his driving playlists.

We chatted for most of the drive about family and friends. Edward had asked what I usually did for the holidays since my mom was in Phoenix and my dad was in Forks. It had been a long time since I had visited my mom, and she rarely came back to Washington. Sometimes, I would go visit my dad and on even rarer occasions, he would come stay with me in Seattle, but most holidays lately had been spent with Alice and Jasper. I told him that I had been considering a visit to Phoenix but I had nothing planned as of yet.

Edward regaled me with stories of his family's holidays, including more of Emmett's craziness. I had never met the guy, but already I felt like he was just the kind of big brother that I would love to have. With Thanksgiving still two months away, Edward said that he hadn't yet considered whether he would go back to Chicago or not. He mentioned that his family wanted to visit him at some point after he was settled, and my nerves immediately started fluttering at the thought of meeting them.

But first, we had to make it through this lunch with Charlie. If Edward was nervous at all, he didn't show it one bit.

We arrived at Riverstone Grille ahead of Charlie and found a table. Edward held my chair for me as I took a seat facing the door, and then sat next to me at the square table. The restaurant was a typical sports bar with memorabilia all over the walls and large screen TVs everywhere you looked. One side of the bar had seating for the restaurant patrons, while the other side was open with a few high top tables, two pool tables and several dart boards.

Edward and I had just ordered our drinks when Charlie showed up. I jumped out of my seat to hug him as he approached our table, not realizing until that moment just how much I had missed my dad. He wasn't a man of many words, but he was always there when I needed him.

"Hi, sweetheart," he said after planting a kiss on my head and pulling out of our embrace.

"Hi, dad." I remembered my manners quickly. "Dad, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Edward Cullen. Edward, this is my dad, Charlie Swan." It felt weird but good to introduce Edward as my boyfriend.

Edward quickly extended his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Chief Swan." Oh, he sure was a charmer with the "Chief Swan" stuff.

"You too, Edward." Charlie said, shaking Edward's hand briefly. He sat down at the table and watched as Edward pushed my chair in for me as I took my seat before seating himself. Even if he wasn't yet winning points with Charlie, he was still winning them with me.

Edward started with the small talk immediately. "Did you have a pleasant drive down here, sir?"

"Not too bad," Charlie answered, opening his menu. "The rain always slows traffic down, but thankfully it wasn't coming down as heavy as it was this morning."

"Thankfully, the storm passed Seattle earlier as well. I'm still learning the area, so I'm glad I was able to take in the sights on the way."

This, of course, prompted all kinds of questions from Charlie, so Edward spent the better part of the meal talking about himself. I had to admit, he never seemed flustered or embarrassed. He confidently held his own on every topic that Charlie threw at him.

As we were wrapping up our leisurely meal, Charlie reached next to his chair and grabbed a gift bag. "I almost forgot to give you your birthday present, Bells." I hadn't even noticed the purple bag when he walked in.

"Thanks," I smiled, embarrassment flushing my cheeks. I reached into the bag and pulled out a beautiful black, leather bound journal with my name and the year carved on the front. "Dad, I love it!"

"Well, you know … I know you like writing things instead of always working on the computer."

"It's perfect." It really was. I had always loved journaling, and I wrote down everything from daily activities to story ideas.

"There's something else in there, too."

Puzzled, I reached back into the bag and felt around the tissue paper at the bottom. When I withdrew my hand, I had a small, black velvet box. I gasped as I opened it, seeing the diamond stud earrings inside.

I looked at Charlie with a stunned expression on my face. "They were Grandma's," he said sheepishly. "She always wanted you to have them."

I was out of my seat in an instant with my arms around him and tears in my eyes. "Thanks, dad," I choked on my sob. "I promise I'll take good care of them." Even when I lived with my mom, I was always close to my Grandma. She was a vibrant, loving woman, who would have lived a long, healthy life if it hadn't been for a car accident claiming her when I was fourteen.

"I know you will, honey," he said, patting my back.

Charlie insisted on paying for lunch, even when Edward tried to pick up the check. Edward politely thanked Charlie as I gave my dad one last hug. "Thank you for lunch, and thanks for letting me join you, Chief Swan." Once again, Edward offered his hand to my father.

"My pleasure. It was nice meeting you Edward. I hope I'll be seeing you again." As he shook Edward's hand, he added hesitantly, "And, you can call me Charlie."

Edward's smile could have lit the whole restaurant. "Thank you, Charlie. I'm sure we'll be seeing you soon."

After using the restroom, Edward and I made our way out to the car, where he opened and closed my door for me. As soon as he was in the driver's seat, he leaned over the console and gave me a sweet kiss. "Mmm … not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?" I asked.

"No reason other than it had to be done," he smiled. He looked over his shoulder and backed out of the parking spot, pointing the car toward the main road. Once he was headed in the right direction, he picked up my hand and held it tightly in his lap.

"Thanks for coming with me."

"There's nowhere else I would have rather been. Thanks for inviting me." He lifted our entwined hands and kissed my knuckles before placing them back in his lap.

The drive back to Seattle was comfortably quiet. Edward and I were both lost to our own thoughts. My head was spinning with thoughts of how perfect Edward had been, winning my father's affections as well as mine. It's not that I had any other boyfriend/father interactions to compare to, but I knew that it wasn't easy to break through Charlie's interrogation methods. As a teenager, I had never been able to lie to him about where I was going or who I would be with, not that I had all that many opportunities that called for deception. But, Charlie could see through even the most thought-out ruse.

With Edward, I think Charlie had set out to find character flaws, look for chinks in his armor, and highlight any shortcomings. Fortunately, he wasn't able to find any. Edward had been nothing but open and honest when speaking with Charlie, showing him the same wonderful personality that I had come to know so well over the last week. My father's acceptance, allowing Edward to call him Charlie, made my heart soar just a little bit more. At this rate, I didn't think I would ever come back down to earth.

We were both exhausted by the time we got back to Edward's apartment in the late afternoon. After placing my gift bag in the bedroom next to my overnight bag, shoes and jeans came off and we tumbled into bed for a much needed nap. As usual, we quickly migrated toward each other and tangled our limbs to get comfortable. My nose was buried in Edward's neck, and his scent lulled me to sleep within minutes while his hands stroked my hip and back.

The sun was setting by the time I started to rouse from sleep. My eyes fluttered opened to find Edward still lying next to me, although he had clearly been awake before me.

"How long have you been up?"

His fingers stroked my cheek while his gaze travelled across my face. "Not long," he answered. "I've just been enjoying watching you sleep for a little while. You looked so peaceful."

The adoration in his eyes made my heart skip a beat. It was almost too much to look at him. I wondered what my eyes said when I looked at him.

"Are you hungry?" he finally asked. "I was thinking of making some dinner."

"Sure, I'll help."

We emerged from the bed and made our way to the kitchen, deciding on leftover chicken for chicken salads and some garlic bread. Preparing dinner together was seamless as always. We didn't need many words to coordinate our actions. Edward cut up and heated the chicken while I prepped the salad and toasted the bread. He opened a bottle of wine while I set the table.

We sat and talked about lunch with my dad while we ate. Edward had told Charlie that he had never been fishing, and Charlie had promised to teach him some time. Edward admitted to being a little nervous about that, but said he was sure he'd have fun no matter what. He figured it would be a good time to dig for stories of my childhood from Charlie.

I told him that if he did that, I would get Emmett's phone number from his phone and make his brother tell me every embarrassing story about a young Edward. I could tell by the look on his face that he knew not only would I do it, but that Emmett would be a more than willing accomplice.

He did promise me that I would meet his family whenever they came to visit, also mentioning that someday he'd like to take me to Chicago to see where he grew up.

I was somewhat amazed that he had no qualms about planning for the future, and even more excited that the future seemed to include me. All I knew was that everything I thought about doing, everywhere I thought about going, sounded better when I thought about Edward doing it with me.

I spent some time that night writing my thoughts in my new journal while Edward was fooling around on his guitar. Not sure if he realized he had never played for me before, I kept my head down in my journal while I listened with one ear. I snuck a few peeks while I was supposed to be writing, before I finally gave up in favor of watching his long fingers move precisely across the strings. Once I set my book aside, he started quietly humming a tune that I didn't recognize, but it wasn't enough for me.

"Can you play something I know?"

Edward looked up, almost as if he had forgotten he had an audience.

"Sorry." My cheeks flamed. "I didn't mean to interrupt you."

He gave me a reassuring smile. "That's okay, I just didn't realize you had finished writing. I hope I wasn't disturbing you."

"Definitely not. I was enjoying the music, but I want to hear you sing."

Edward nodded, and then thought for a moment while his fingers strummed lazily. He smiled at me before starting to play a new tune. "I think you might know this one."

It only took a few notes before a smile crept across my face. I quickly got lost in the sounds of the guitar and Edward's soulful voice as he belted out the words.

"_Baby, ask me anything that you want  
__And I'll look you in the eye now  
__There can be no surprises  
__If we mean what we say  
__I've been around the block  
__And I've done some things  
__That I ain't so very proud of  
__Darlin' help me leave this cloud of  
__Rolling lonely behind_

_Naked  
__I'll stand naked  
__If you stand naked with me  
__I'll stand naked with you"_

I was absolutely mesmerized by the magic Edward was making with his instrument and his voice. His fingers continued their confident journey along the strings and he never missed a word of the song.

"_In the morning when I look in the mirror  
__I look twice at what I'm seeing  
__If those eyes are really me then  
__Lord, have mercy on my soul  
__I'm walking forward but I'm walking alone  
__And I need some understanding  
__Here, we all need some understanding  
__And I want you to know_

_My hands are shaking as I reach for the touch  
__And all I want to do is hold you  
__And I want to lose control  
__You are so easy to crave  
__The time has come for us to lay it all down  
__There can be no more denying  
__If I can't have you I'm dying  
__A little more every day"_

I joined in singing quietly with Edward for the final chorus. The sound of our voices tangling together set me on fire, and our eyes were once again locked on each other.

"_Naked  
__(Take me out from the shadow)  
__I'll stand naked  
__(Lead me down to the waters)  
__If you'll stand naked with me  
__(Drown my soul in a sea of love)  
__I'll stand naked with you  
__(Don't leave me haunted, 'cause)_

_Naked  
__(I believe in the searching)  
__I'll stand naked  
__(And I'll find my way through the darkness)  
__If you'll stand naked with me  
__(There are doors ahead if we see clear)  
__I'll stand naked with you  
__(They're falling open)"_

I had never seen anything more beautiful than the man in front of me. My body was on autopilot as I lifted from the couch as the last note rang out. Edward placed his guitar on the floor just as I reached him in the oversized chair, my legs straddling his lap, hands lost in his hair, and lips meeting his with all the passion I could muster.

Our clothes were lost in a frenzy of hands and lips and the fire blazed higher as skin met skin. Our touches were urgent and unrelenting, and when we finally came together, there was nothing gentle about it. But as usual, it was absolutely perfect in every way. Edward could read my body as well as I could read his, and there was no denying that we both needed the ferociousness at that moment.

Kisses and touches turned soft and soothing by the time we found ourselves in bed later that night. As my breathing slowed down, my mind finally tried to catch up to the rest of me. This man was everything to me. He was open and honest, yet kind and gentle, sweet and caring, but passionate and fiery, intelligent and fun, talented and inspiring all rolled into one breathtaking package.

My heart rate picked back up as the realization hit me. Edward seemed to have been lost in his own little world, but quietly shifted down to look at me. Could he feel my heart pounding? Could he know what I was thinking?

His gentle fingers pushed some hair back off my face while his mossy green eyes burned into mine.

"I love you, Bella," he said quietly before his mouth descended on mine.

The answer to my question had been a resounding _yes_. Of course, he knew exactly what I was thinking. And, I had a feeling he always would.

* * *

**A/N: I totally didn't plan for the ILY to slip out so quickly, but this time the story really told itself. Let me know what you thought … was it too soon? Just right? Should it have happened two chapters ago? Ha!**

**The song Edward sang is called _Naked_ and it's by the BoDeans.**

**Come find me on Facebook (Kitchmill Fanfic) or Twitter (at kitchmillfanfic).**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Edited 5/1/13**

It's amazing how one's perception of time can change so quickly. One moment, I'm feeling like time is moving so slowly that I was able to get to know Bella so well in only a week, and the next moment, I wonder where the last month has gone.

One month ago, I told Bella that I love her for the first time. I'm fairly sure I've told her every day, multiple times a day, since then as well. It's not something I'll ever tire of saying. It's also not something I'll ever tire of hearing from her. When I said it that night after singing my heart out for her, I didn't expect her to say it back. I didn't need her to, but I wasn't going to complain when she told me that she felt like I could read her mind.

"_I love you, Bella." I said before I kissed her like my life depended on it. I wanted her to know my feelings, and that it was okay if she didn't feel the same yet. But I just couldn't hold the words back. She made me feel things I hadn't ever felt before._

_There had been attraction with my ex-girlfriends, but never this want … this need. Being without Bella in the rare time we spent apart was like being without air. She was fun, witty, caring, sweet, and of course sexy as hell. We were connected on some deeper level than I had ever imagined was possible._

_When I finally came up for air from kissing her, she looked deep into my eyes with her hands tangled in my hair. "You know, sometimes I swear that you're reading my mind. I've been lying here working through my feelings because I had no idea what they meant. Just when I had figured everything out, you go and tell me that you love me." Her eyes got a bit glassy and she bit her bottom lip. I worried for a moment that she was going to tell me that it was too much, too soon. Thankfully, she didn't draw out the torture for too long. "I love you, too, Edward. So much. I have no idea how it happened so quickly, but it did."_

We haven't spent too much time apart since that night, since we met, really. Sure, we hang out with Alice and Jasper, together and separately, but even when we do things separately we usually end up in the same apartment and bed at the end of the night. I now have a key to her apartment and Bella has a key to my place. Instead of the panic I felt when Tanya was getting too comfortable at my apartment, it just makes me ecstatic to see Bella feel at home here.

I picked up my keys, wallet and cell phone and made my way out of the apartment. Bella had gone home to pack up for the weekend, and was waiting for me to get her so we could go to the airport to pick up Emmett and his girlfriend, Rosalie. Emmett had decided that he wanted to visit me for his birthday, which was yesterday, so they were arriving this afternoon to stay for the weekend. I've definitely missed hanging out with my brother. I'm looking forward to his visit, and also introducing him to my Bella.

Bella and I got to the airport right around the time that the plane was supposed to land, so we drove to the cell phone lot to wait for Emmett's text letting us know they were in baggage claim. I peeked over at Bella and realized that she seemed nervous, her frame rigid and her lip caught between her teeth.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?"

She was hesitant to tell me, fidgeting with her hands in her lap so I picked up her left hand and kissed it.

"I guess I'm just worried about them liking me."

I had a feeling that was what she was worried about. "First of all, they will love you. Second of all, my family only wants to see me happy, and _you_ are the one who makes me happy. That's all that really matters."

"I know, but I still want them to actually like me," she said with a small smile.

"Trust me, they will." I reassured her with a kiss just as my cell phone vibrated with a text. I checked to make sure it was Emmett, then turned to Bella. "Are you ready?"

She gave another smile and squeezed my hand. "Sure."

It didn't take long to spot my big oaf of a brother and his tall, blonde girlfriend when we made our way to the exit. I noticed Bella take in Rosalie's statuesque figure with wide eyes, but hoped she would realize that there was never any type of attraction for me there.

I pulled the car over and got out, running to the passenger side to open Bella's door for her. Introductions would have to be quick so security wouldn't take issue with us lingering in the pickup lane.

Emmett had engulfed me in a hug as soon as I closed Bella's door. "Umph! Let me breathe, ya big lug!"

He backed away a bit. "Sorry, E. I forgot how wimpy you are." I punched him jovially in the shoulder for good measure before leaning over and kissing Rosalie on the cheek.

"Rosalie, Emmett, this is my girlfriend, Bella." I introduced. I saw what was coming before I had any time to react to it.

"Oh!" Bella laughed, as Emmett picked her up and swung her around like a rag doll.

"Bella, Bella, Bella! I'm so happy to meet you!" Em exclaimed.

"Put her down before you knock the wind out of her, too!" Geez, he never learns.

"Hey, I was gentle! Wasn't I, Bella?" Rose and I were both laughing at Bella's stunned expression and Emmett's contrite one.

"Um … yes, you were fine. It's nice to meet you too, Emmett." Rosalie smacked him on the back of the head as he backed away from Bella. Then she leaned in and gave Bella a _normal_ hug. "It's nice to meet you, Rosalie."

I heard Rose quietly say, "Call me Rose. I'm so happy to meet you." She was smiling as she pulled away from embracing Bella.

I quickly loaded the bags into the back of the car and everyone piled in. On the drive back to the apartment, we discussed the plans for the weekend. Emmett and Rose were going to stay on the pull-out couch in my living room. Tonight Alice and Jasper were coming over for dinner before we went to the bar for drinks.

Bella surprised me by directing a lot of the conversation. I had been expecting her to be shy for a while around Em and Rose, but it seemed like my brother had wasted no time in making her feel at ease. She told them about the bar, including the most recent time we had been there when we all participated in karaoke. They were all laughing as Bella told them about Jasper's horrible rendition of _Friends In Low Places_. I gave him credit for trying, but I never understood why he thought he was a southern boy when he was born and raised in Washington.

After a quick tour of the apartment, Emmett and Rose decided they needed to shower off the travel dust so Bella and I left them to it and retreated into the bedroom to give them some space.

"They both seem really nice," Bella commented once we were alone. "How long have they been together?"

"I'm not really sure," I admitted. "They run hot and cold a lot of times, so they could be together for six months and then not speak for two months. I'll never understand them. Em says he wants to marry her, but that she's a 'delicate creature'—his words, not mine—so he must be waiting for the stars to align perfectly or something."

We both chuckled. "I think I can see that about them."

"Overall, I think they've been together for about three years."

"Wow, do they live together?" she questioned.

"Nope. He says that Rosie won't even commit to that yet."

"I never would have guessed by seeing them together so far."

"Yeah … she's really the only person who can handle him and keep him in line, so I really do hope that they stay together. My mom loves her and I know she can't wait for them to finally get their heads out of their asses so they can get married and give her grandbabies."

Bella and I had ended up cuddled up on the bed while we chatted. I decided that it was as good a time as any to approach her about something that had been on my mind for a while. "Speaking of my mom, she asked me to come home for Thanksgiving next month." I felt Bella stiffen slightly next to me. "I was hoping you'd come with me."

She sat up and looked at me with a somewhat stunned expression on her face. "Really? You want me to come with you?"

I smiled and kissed her. "Of course I want you to come with me. I really want you to meet the rest of my family, and if I don't bring you home soon, my mom is liable to come here unannounced just to meet you."

"She wants to meet me?"

"Why are you so surprised? I love you and you make me happy." I kissed the side of her head. "She wants to get to know you so she can love you, too."

"I don't know …" she responded as she settled back against me. "Sometimes I still don't get _why_ you love me. I'm just plain, boring Bella Swan."

"Bella," I started, stroking her hair. "You still don't see yourself very clearly," I said in a soft tone. "You are a beautiful, intelligent, witty, fun, caring woman, and you make me happier than I've ever been before." I kissed the top of her head and let my lips linger while my arms tightened around her. "Would you please do me the honor of accompanying me to Chicago for Thanksgiving so I can show you off to my family?"

She sighed before responding. "I still think you're crazy, but I'd love to come to Chicago with you."

"Thank god," I replied, rolling over on top of her. "I thought I was going to have to drag you there kicking and screaming." I dug my fingers into her sides and she squealed in laughter while I tickled her.

She tried to squirm out of my grasp but I didn't let up. "Stop … stop … please!" she gasped between laughs. I finally halted the torture and instantly moved on to a more pleasant form of anguish as my lips descended to the spot below her ear that I knew she loved. The laughter immediately turned into a long, low moan and my cock took notice.

My hands moved from her ribcage to her breasts while her fingernails scraped their way up and down my back. I hissed in pleasure before capturing her mouth with my own, our tongues touching and retreating rhythmically.

"Edward," Bella whispered when I moved back to her neck and collarbone. "We can't do this now."

"Sure we can," I soothed as my hands moved under her shirt, lifting it in the process. "No one is coming in here." She didn't protest as I wriggled her shirt over her head. "We'll just have to be more quiet than usual," I mumbled when my mouth wasn't occupied with a breast.

Bella hummed while she pulled my shirt up and over my head, her hands immediately returning to my bare back. I slipped my hand behind her and quickly opened the clasp of her bra, dragging it off her arms and tossing it across the room before our bare chests met. "As much as I love hearing you," I whispered in her ear. "Do you think you can keep quiet while I make you cum?"

"_Fuck,"_ she whimpered. I knew she liked it when I talked dirty, and today seemed to be no different. I unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, shoving my hand into her wetness without waiting for a response. _"Yes!"_ she moaned quietly while my fingers spread the pooling juices around her bare flesh.

I would never forget the day Bella came home and surprised me with her bare pussy. She had always kept it neatly trimmed, which was perfectly fine with me, but she said that Alice convinced her to get waxed as a surprise for me. I could have kissed Alice for that, except my mouth was too occupied for the rest of that day.

Bella awkwardly tried to open my jeans so I quickly moved to help her. In a matter of seconds, we were both naked and returned to our previous spot. "You're so wet, baby," I moaned as I thrust two fingers inside of her. "I want to feel you cum on my fingers before you cum on my cock."

"Uhhh …" she moaned before I cut her off with my mouth on hers. My thumb rubbed her clit while her hips began moving against my hand. The warmth surrounding my fingers was causing my erection to get painful, but I was determined for her to cum like this first.

"Like that, baby?" I whispered against her lips. Her vigorous nodding was enough answer for me. I sped up the movement of my fingers and began curling them inside of her. Her breathing sped up and became shallow, and I knew she was close. "Cum for me, beautiful. I want to see you."

Her eyes squeezed shut momentarily before she opened them as her inner walls started fluttering. She grabbed me by the back of the neck, pulling me down to try to kiss me, but we were both too worked up for that. Our lips stayed together, mouths exchanging breaths, eyes locked, while her orgasm took over. I felt her clamp down on my fingers repeatedly and my cock started leaking.

I slowed down the movements of my hand to let her come down, but she was having none of that. She quickly pushed my hand out of the way and squirmed until I was right at her entrance. If there was one thing that I had learned that Bella liked, it was that she preferred for me to keep the orgasm going. "Now," she whispered and I entered her with one quick thrust.

I had to kiss her plump, pink lips again or else I would be the one making all the noise. I could feel her muscles still contracting around me as I moved in and out of her wet heat. Her fingernails were digging into my scalp and her hips meeting my every thrust. While my arms were braced on either side of her shoulders, she lifted her bent legs and rested her knees against my chest, causing me to slip even deeper inside of her.

"Oh god, baby," I moaned, "I won't last long like this."

"Neither will … ugh … I," she forced out between thrusts.

I could tell I was hitting a good spot inside of her with each thrust so I kept it up until I couldn't hold back any more. Dropping down to my forearm caused her legs to push back even further. I used my free hand to swirl my thumb across her clit and moments later we both fell over the edge together.

After taking a moment to catch my breath, I collapsed on top of her body while her legs fell back down to the bed. Our hearts were beating out of control, like two drums sounding and answering each other. Bella's fingers dragged lazily through my hair while my hand ran up and down her side.

"I love you," I mumbled into her neck.

"I love you, too," she said, kissing the top of my head.

Shortly after, we got redressed and wandered into the living room where Emmett and Rose were watching TV. I grabbed a cider beer for Bella and a lager for myself as we joined them to relax. It didn't take long before Emmett had everyone in stitches, talking about a prank he had pulled at his office where he left a fake mouse under a coworker's desk.

Jasper and Alice arrived with enough Chinese food to feed an army, which was perfect considering Emmett could eat for an army. His table manners were as atrocious as always. It didn't seem to matter to him that he was meeting new people, which was one of the things I loved most about my brother. He never put on a fake persona to impress anyone. He was who he was, and he was perfectly content with that.

Rosalie, of course, couldn't help but scold him, to which he only responded, "Sorry, baby, but this is good shit!" as he continued to suck down his dinner.

The girls all seemed to get along well, moving off to the kitchen together after we finished eating. I had no idea what they were talking about, but as long as there was laughter I figured everything was good.

After a while, we decided we were having enough fun in the apartment so we skipped the bar and stayed in to play drinking games. I ran out to get more beer and came back to find everyone sitting around the living room already involved in a game of _I Never_. I knew Emmett was trying to rile everyone up when he said "I never kissed a girl." Alice's and Bella's eyes went wide when they watched Rose drink.

Rose looked around and yelled, "What? I was drunk and in college. You two can honestly say you've never done that?"

Bella and Alice were shaking their heads and saying, "Nope," and "No way," as I came to sit next to Bella on the couch. Knowing she was already tipsy, I wrapped my arm around her and whispered in her ear, "You know, I think that would be really hot."

She just laughed and slapped my chest. "You really want to watch me kiss someone other than you?"

I sighed. "No, you're probably right. I'd get too jealous." She just smirked at me.

Jasper took his turn as I cracked open a new beer. "I never touched myself while thinking about my significant other." Of course, we all drank to that.

This time, there was no joking when I whispered to Bella, "Now, _that_ is something that I definitely want to see."

I watched her face turn red before she responded. "If you play your cards right, you just might get a show." My cock twitched in excitement and I not-so-discreetly adjusted myself while cursing under my breath. My shy girl had definitely come out of her shell recently in all matters of sexual relations. I loved every minute of it.

Everyone else had been in side conversations before Alice piped up. "I never had sex in public." Bella and I were the only ones who didn't drink, causing moans and boos directed our way.

"Guess that's something else we'll have to work on," Bella stated, causing everyone else to cheer for us.

"You sure picked a live one, E!" Emmett yelled. I just shook my head at him.

The game continued on with music blaring in the background until we were all pretty wasted and Alice and Jasper finally decided to stumble home. I was glad they didn't live too far, but Alice promised to text when they got home anyway.

The rest of us started cleaning up beer bottles and snack food so that Emmett and Rose could claim their sleeping space. I helped Em with the pull-out couch while Bella got the extra sheets and blankets. My mind wandered again back to how good it felt to have her feeling at home here. I thought about what it might be like to see mail with her name on it mixed in with mine. Surprisingly, instead of feeling the anxiety I felt over Tanya's mail showing up at my place, I felt a sense of contentment, like that was the way it _should_ be.

My relationship with Bella was so different than anything I had ever known before. Everything with her felt so right, like my life hadn't been complete before but I didn't know what it was missing until she walked into it. My apartment felt more like home when she was there, but I realized that it didn't matter _where_ we were. As long as we were together, _that_ was home.

I pushed those thoughts aside for the moment because my drunk girl was all giggly and cute, saying good night to our guests. I made sure that my brother and Rose had everything they needed before I pulled Bella back into the bedroom.

Still quite horny from our discussions during _I Never_, I didn't waste any time in locking the door and pushing her up against it. I kissed her hard until she moaned, and then pulled away quickly. "I think you need to show me what you do when you think about me."

"Oh, really?" she asked, stalking toward me. Her sudden bravado may have been caused by alcohol, but it didn't matter. We had had plenty of open discussions and I didn't think there was anything we would do drunk that we wouldn't do totally sober. "Maybe you need to show me what happens when you think about me." She quickly stripped her shirt over her head and tossed it on the floor, her hands coming down to cup her breasts as she neared me.

I adjusted myself before sitting down on the bed and taking my shirt off, then leaning back to watch Bella's show. Her bra followed down onto the floor as she continued to play with her breasts, pinching her nipples. Cursing under my breath, I put my palm against my erection to relieve some pressure.

"You like that?" she asked, stopping between my parted legs so that her breasts were about a foot away from my wanting mouth. Suddenly, she turned around as I heard the sound of her zipper opening, followed by her thumbs hooking into the back of her jeans. She wiggled her hips as her pants and underwear lowered together, baring her ass right in front of me.

I moaned and opened my button and zipper, palming myself harder through my boxers while reaching out to grab Bella's perfect butt cheek with the other hand. She quickly jumped away, taunting over her shoulder. "Ah, ah, ah," she tsked. "_You_ only get to touch yourself right now." She kicked off her jeans and panties quickly before walking back over to me.

"You are so fucking sexy, Bella." I growled as my hand slipped inside my underwear. There was no way I could avoid touching myself now.

"Take your clothes off," she demanded. "I need to see what you're doing." She licked her lips as her hands ran down her sides and over her abdomen.

I complied, quickly resuming my position on the end of the bed with my hand slowly stroking my cock, palm pressing down on the tip on each upstroke. Bella's left hand meandered between her legs while she moaned lightly, and her right hand pushed on my chest causing me to lie back on the bed.

The grip on my cock tightened as I watched her sexy body crawl up onto the bed. Not knowing where she was going, I sucked in a gulp of air as she placed a knee on either side of my head, her body hovering several inches above me. I groaned and lifted my free hand to touch her glistening pussy where her fingers were still rubbing, but she slapped it away.

"I thought you'd want a better view, but if you can't keep your hands to yourself, I'll have to move to the other side of the room," she teased. Then she leaned forward, balancing her weight on one arm, her face only inches from my cock which was twitching in my hand.

I watched in fascination as two fingers disappeared inside of her, and then came out to spread the wetness around before dipping back in. I stroked harder, gripping the bedspread in my other hand to keep from trying to touch her again. When she pulled her fingers out again, she reached down and stroked my cock a few times, pushing my hand out of the way, twisting her wrist as she went.

"You looked like you could use a little lubrication," she offered, before returning her fingers to her own body.

My gaze was mostly fixed on her glistening pussy, but I looked up at her long enough to see that she was intently watching me stroke myself. I had no idea if her moans were caused by my movements or her own. I was pretty sure my own noises were a direct result of watching her touch herself.

Bella's thumb slid over her clit and her moans deepened. Her fingers plunged in and out more quickly, at the same time the movement of my hand sped up.

"Fuck, you're beautiful," I whimpered as my thighs started tightening. Bella's legs began to shake next to my head and her thumb moved in tighter circles over her nub.

"Cum for me," she whispered, and then gasped as her whole body shook above me. I wrapped my arm around her thighs and pulled her body down to me, burying my face in her pussy and groaning as streams of cum shot out of me.

After a few moments of recovery, she rolled over next to me and started giggling. "Wow," she said. "That was … wow."

"Yeah …" was about all I could add to that.

She got up and grabbed the box of tissues off of the nightstand and brought them back over so we could both clean up. We eventually climbed into bed in our usual positions, with Bella's head on my shoulder and our legs entwined.

"That was seriously hot," I offered. "But I don't like not being able to touch you."

"Mmhmm," she agreed. "I definitely like it better when you touch me, and when I can touch you." She was quiet for a few minutes, and I thought she had fallen asleep when she lazily added, "Next, I guess we have to work on sex in public."

I just laughed and kissed her. "Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

**A/N: Review please!**

**Come find me on Facebook (Kitchmill Fanfic) or Twitter (at kitchmillfanfic).**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Edited 5/1/13**

I'm so glad I didn't let Alice give me that manicure, because by now it would have been completely trashed. I'd been mindlessly chewing on my nails for the first hour of the four hour flight to Chicago. Edward has been quietly stopping me, taking my hand and holding it, until it ends up back in my mouth without me even realizing.

He knows that I'm nervous. And he understands. He's not trying to talk me out of it, but rather offering me the comfort that he knows I need. And I couldn't love him more for it.

He has assured me a thousand times that his parents will love me. I really don't know why I'm so nervous to meet them. I'm thankful that Emmett is picking us up from the airport though. At least I've already met him, and I definitely feel comfortable around him after the weekend that he and Rose spent in Seattle.

We had so much fun that weekend. Edward and I took them to Pike Place Market on Saturday, where we strolled around, ate lunch, bought crafts and souvenirs, and goofed off until we were too tired to do anything else. I got to know both of them really well, and immediately felt like Emmett was the big brother I never had.

Edward and Emmett had such a close relationship that it made me jealous that I never had any siblings. I knew Edward was very close with his parents as well. Maybe that was why I was so nervous to meet them. It's not like I have a normal relationship with either of my parents. My mom is more like a best friend or even a younger sister that I had to take care of, while Charlie is quiet and unemotional except when absolutely necessary.

Rosalie had been a complete shock to me. When I first laid eyes on her perfect body and gorgeous blonde hair, I think my eyes about popped out of my head. But she was a sweetheart from the start and we were relaxing and laughing together like old friends in no time. Edward was right about her being perfect for Emmett, with her no-nonsense attitude and motherly affection. I'm still trying to figure out what is holding her back from committing to him. Em made it perfectly clear to everyone that he wants to marry her, and the ball is in her court.

They are already talking about coming back for another visit, having enjoyed spending time with Alice and Jasper as well.

I removed my fingernail from my mouth yet again and snuggled into Edward's side. Edward took the middle seat of the row, cramming his long legs into the small foot space without complaint, leaving me the aisle so I wouldn't get claustrophobic. Always my perfect gentleman.

Looking down at my journal on my lap, I thought about writing in it again but couldn't seem to muster up the strength. There were too many thoughts going through my head to be able to pinpoint any one of them. Edward has never asked about what I write, but I'm sure he must be curious. We don't hide things from one another, but that doesn't mean that I don't have thoughts that I have yet to share with him. Although, if he ever asked, I probably would let him read anything he wanted to.

He's already read some of the novel I've been working on. As much as I'd always kept that private, he was the one that inspired me to move forward with it and I wanted to share it with him. After he read it, he told me how proud he was of me and that he was sure someday I would achieve my dream. We made love for a long time that night.

Edward asked me if I was cold and offered to get a blanket, but I told him that I was perfectly comfortable where I was in his arms.

"Do you want to see some of the sights over the weekend, or just hang out?" he asked.

"Let's just play it by ear and see how we're feeling. I'm sure you'll want to spend a lot of time with your family while we're in town."

"True," he answered. "But I also want to show you around."

The rest of the flight passed quickly and before I knew it, we were headed to baggage claim to retrieve our suitcases. Edward grabbed both of them off of the carousel and then sent a text to Emmett. We only waited outside in the cold for a few minutes before Emmett pulled up in his Jeep.

He rapidly jumped out of the car and enveloped me in one of his now famous bear hugs, exclaiming, "Baby B!" as he swung me around. For a guy as big and tough as he looks, he's such a loveable teddy bear inside. The dimples when he smiles only reinforce the mischievous little boy look.

Edward had already put our bags into the back by the time Emmett put me down. "What am I, chopped liver?" he asked.

"Sorry, man. But, you're nowhere near as pretty as this one," Emmett said, thumbing over his shoulder at me before giving his brother a proper hug.

Edward insisted that I sit up front on the half hour drive to their parents' house so I could take in the sights. The boys kept up a conversation during the drive, but I was once again lost in my thoughts. I really wanted Edward's parents to like me, since their son had quickly become such an important part of my life. He continually told me that I had nothing to worry about, but that didn't mean that I wouldn't worry. I knew he loved me and I would have his support no matter what, so I let that be my mantra as we approached his childhood home.

Before I knew it, we were pulling into a tree-lined driveway and a beautiful white house was sitting in front of me. I tried to remember not to gape, but the house was so much bigger and more elegant than what I had been expecting. I knew Edward's family had money. He had made comments about fancy restaurants and expensive hobbies in the past. But I don't think I realized the extent of it until I saw the beauty of their house with my own eyes.

The structure must have sat on several acres of land, because the driveway was long and secluded. The trees thinned out into a meadow, with the house near the back of the open space. Emmett pulled up in front of the garage, which looked to be bigger than Charlie's entire house in Forks. Edward was opening my door before Emmett had even turned off the Jeep.

"What do you think?" he asked with excitement in his eyes after he pulled me from the vehicle.

"You grew up here?" I asked in astonishment.

"For the most part," he answered. "I think they finished building this when I was about nine. It was my parents' dream home, and they worked hard when we were young to make it a reality."

"It's beautiful. I can't wait to see inside."

"Well, come on then!" he said, pulling my hand and walking toward the house like a little boy running down the stairs to open his Christmas presents. I felt bad that Emmett was getting our bags out of the trunk, but he didn't seem to mind so I followed Edward to the front door.

The door opened before we even made it to the top of the porch stairs, and a beautiful, impeccably dressed woman with shoulder length caramel hair and bright green eyes rushed out to meet us. I didn't even have time to blink before Edward and I were both enveloped in a huge hug from what could only be his mother. I couldn't understand how she could even get her tiny frame around both of us, but at least I knew where Emmett got it from.

"I'm so glad you're both here," she gushed while she continued to hug us.

"Mom," Edward all but whined. "At least let us in the door!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, sweetie! Where are my manners? Get in here! Emmett, bring their bags in," she added over her shoulder as she led us through the door. I laughed as I heard Emmett grumble his way up the stairs, no doubt just putting on a show.

We made it as far as the foyer before Edward made introductions, still holding my hand. "Mom, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Bella Swan. Bella, this is my mother, Esme."

"It's so nice to meet you, Mrs. Cullen."

"Oh, please, we'll have none of that Mrs. Cullen stuff. Call me Esme. I'm so happy to meet you Bella," she said, giving me another hug which I gratefully returned. She had such a warm and inviting personality. I couldn't help but love her instantly.

"And, I'm Carlisle," I heard a male voice state next to me. I pulled back from Esme's embrace to find a handsome older man with Emmett's dimples and Edward's build. "Welcome to our home, Bella. I'm so glad you could join us."

"Thank you …" I started, only to be interrupted by Edward's father insisting I call him Carlisle. "You have a beautiful home."

Edward and his father shook hands and hugged while Emmett dragged our bags up a wide stairway. "I'll put these in your room, E," he called over his shoulder.

"Thanks, Em."

I hadn't even thought about what our sleeping arrangements would be in Edward's parents' house. No one commented on my bag being placed in Edward's room, so I figured they didn't have a problem with us staying together. I certainly wasn't going to rock the boat if everyone else was ok with the arrangement.

Esme ordered Edward to give me a tour of the house while she prepared some snacks for us. I offered to help, but she insisted that I go with Edward. He showed me around the main floor, which had an open floor plan and a light, airy feeling. Most of the rooms had large windows, making me feel like the inside of the house was part of the beautiful landscape outside.

When we made our way into the library, a few things caught my attention. The first was a shiny, black baby grand piano. It was immaculate, with not even a single fingerprint visible on the surface.

"Will you play for me later?" I asked Edward eagerly.

He pulled me close and wrapped his strong arms around me, kissing the side of my head before responding. "I'll play for you whenever you want."

I smiled and lightly pecked his lips before moving over to the nearest wall and taking in the vast array of books that lined it. Two entire walls of the room were covered in books. This library was my dream come true, and probably had a better selection than the Forks Library, where I had spent much of my time in high school.

"I think this is my favorite room so far," I told Edward dreamily.

"I had a feeling you would like it. Feel free to take down whatever you want. If there's anything you want to bring home with us, I know my parents won't mind." My heart skipped a beat at his casual mention of "home with us." It was still fairly amazing to me how quickly we had settled into each others' lives, and how I felt as much at home in his apartment as he was in mine.

We finally made it to the second floor of the house and Edward continued to lead me through room after room. There were actually two guest rooms, but I was more than happy to be able to share Edward's room. I couldn't even remember the last night we had spent apart.

Edward opened the door to his room with a nervous expression on his face. "Um … this is my room," he said, looking down at his feet and gesturing for me to enter first. I had no idea why he seemed nervous. It wasn't like the walls were lined with pictures of bikini-clad models or anything. There were a few hockey trophies and science awards, and some pictures of his family and friends on the walls.

The large bed took up much of the room, with a black leather couch up against the wall. The back wall of the room was mostly window, matching the style of the rest of the house. There were quite a few empty shelves, which looked like they must have held his large CD collection when he lived here.

Emmett had placed our suitcases at the end of the bed, so I sat down on the edge and just took everything in. Edward finally moved away from the door and came to sit next to me.

"Why do you look more nervous than me right now?" I asked him jokingly.

He chuckled before gathering me in his arms. With his chin resting on my head, I felt his words through the vibration of his chest. "I guess I'm nervous because you're the first girl I've ever had in here."

"Really?" I asked, smiling widely up at him.

"Yes, really." He laughed again and pushed my hair over my shoulder. "There was never a reason for any of my exes to stay over here, so other than a brief visit for dinner or a holiday, I've never even brought anyone up here. I certainly never had a girl sleep in my room with me. I'm glad you can be my first," he added lowly.

"Wow, I'm glad I could be your first, too." I wrapped my arms tightly around his waist. "You sure your parents don't mind?"

"They definitely don't mind," he told me. "I've spoken to my mom about you enough that she knows how serious we are, and my parents are respectful of the fact that I'm a grown man and have been making my own decisions for a long time."

I sighed in relief. "As long as you're sure …" I trailed off.

"I'm sure," he offered, kissing the top of my head again and holding me tight.

We relaxed that way for a few minutes before Edward suggested we go back downstairs. Esme had made coffee and put out a plate of fresh cookies, so we enjoyed a late afternoon snack. Emmett told us that Rose wanted to come by later to hang out for a little while, so Edward mentioned the game room in the basement which I hadn't seen yet.

I chatted with Esme for a while about the Thanksgiving meal that she would be preparing the next day. She assured me that she didn't need any help, but relented after I told her how much I enjoyed cooking so I promised that I would be up early to assist.

All in all, we had a nice evening and I was much more relaxed around Edward's parents by the end of dinner. Carlisle and I had a long discussion about literature, and as Edward had predicted, he offered me anything I was interested in from the library. I had a feeling I would be spending a lot of time in that room throughout our stay.

Rose arrived shortly after we finished clearing dessert from the table, and Esme shooed us out of the kitchen to go hang out. The boys decided to play some video games, while Rose and I made ourselves at home at the pool table. It didn't take long for me to prove how uncoordinated I was with a long stick and heavy balls, but thankfully I felt at home enough with everyone that I didn't mind making a fool of myself. Emmett must have been watching me out of the corner of his eye while still focused on the TV screen, because every so often he would laugh or toss out a comment on my lack of skills. He was lucky I had a good sense of humor.

Edward finally took pity on me and left the video game to give me some pointers. "Let me show you," he said in my ear as he molded his frame to my back. Shivers ran through me and I wondered if he was trying to make me concentrate _less_ with the warmth of his body pressed against me.

"You need to make sure you have the right angle on the ball," he whispered as he leaned us both over the table, wrapping his hands around mine. "Line up the shot, and keep your left hand still while your right elbow does all of the work." He moved our right arms together to take the shot, and the six ball went directly into the side pocket.

I was turning into a puddle of goo under his ministrations, the fact that we barely had any time alone all day adding to my desire.

Before he let me up from the table, he pressed his hips into my back so I could feel his hardness against me. "And, your ass looks fabulous in these jeans," he growled in my ear before swiping his tongue along the lobe and then backing away.

When I finally turned around, I knew my face had to be red but I didn't care. Edward was sitting on the couch finishing the last of his beer with a lustful expression in his eyes as they roamed over me.

"You know," I said casually. "I promised your mom I'd help with cooking tomorrow morning. I should probably get to sleep soon so I can be up early."

Edward winked at me, turning my panties into a pool, before agreeing with me. We quickly said goodnight to Em and Rose before rushing up the two flights of stairs to his room.

I felt him pressing up against me before my mind even registered the sound of the door closing and locking behind us.

"I've been waiting all night to have you alone," he murmured as his hands snaked around my waist and inched under my shirt. The feel of his fingertips dancing on my stomach caused me to tremble and suck in a shaky breath.

I turned in his arms and quickly found his lips with my own. Pulling back from our heated kiss, I told him what was on my mind. "I think it's time we christened this bed, baby," I whispered huskily.

"You must have been reading my mind," he said in between kisses and licks to my neck and collarbone.

His hands frantically pulled at the buttons on my shirt, while mine returned the favor. In a flash of flying clothes, I was naked on his bed with Edward hovering over me. I loved that it didn't matter if we were being playful or romantic. Every experience with Edward set my body on fire. It seemed that tonight he was in an animalistic mood, as his tongue and teeth attacked my breasts and his fingers dug into my hips, pulling my body closer to his.

My fingers knotted in his hair, pulling and pushing, anchoring him to my flaming flesh. His nips and tugs sent my desire into overdrive. My hips lifted, seeking friction from his body anywhere I could find it, but his strong hands pushed my body back into the bed.

"Patience, baby. You know I'll take good care of you."

As always, his words caused the flame to grow higher. "Edward …" I moaned, "I need you."

He kissed his way back up my neck before whispering, "What do you need, baby?" His hand snaked down to my core, and he groaned in my ear when his fingers made contact with the wetness dripping from me.

Two fingers were thrust inside of me, causing me to moan, before I had a chance to answer him. "I need you inside of me," I choked out, even though I was enjoying his long fingers.

There was no hesitation in Edward's movements. One second, his fingers were finding my g-spot, and the next, his cock was buried deep inside me. "Is that what you want, baby?" he asked, as his hips pushed roughly against mine.

"Yes!" I managed, overcome by the feeling of completion I always had when joined with Edward.

He set a frantic pace from the start, and my body met him thrust for thrust, the sound of our skin slapping together echoing throughout the room. Edward sat up and lifted both of my legs up to his shoulders, my calves resting near his ears, before leaning back over my body. The angle and depth of his strokes became an almost unbearable pleasure. I tried to keep my moans quiet, but I couldn't even tell what sounds were escaping me anymore.

"Fuck, baby … so good, so good," he muttered while watching where we were joined. "Are you gonna cum for me?"

He knew exactly what his words did to me, and he always knew just how to use them. The look on his face, the breathless expressions, and the strength of his strokes combined in a blinding fury starting low in my belly and spreading through me like a raging inferno. I was unaware of anything other than my own orgasm until Edward released my legs and collapsed on top of me, still pulsing inside.

"I love you, baby," he managed after a few minutes of erratic breathing.

"Love you, too." I kissed the side of his head and ran my fingers through his always unruly hair in the soothing pattern I knew he loved.

I was sure he was falling asleep as his breathing evened out, so his next words caught me off guard. "Move in with me."

Although my breathing stopped, my initial reaction was that he was talking in his sleep even though I had never heard him do that before. When he leaned up on his elbows and looked deep into my eyes, I knew he was aware of what he had said. The depth of emotion swirling through his mossy eyes confirmed that he meant it, as well.

I started formulating a response in my head, concerned that he would regret this in a less passionate moment, still scared by the story of his ex-girlfriend. But Edward didn't give me time to process my thoughts before he was attempting to convince me.

"Before you start second guessing this, I want you to know that I've been thinking about it for a while." His eyes implored me to believe him. And how could I not? He had never been dishonest with me, and never held back his feelings. "It's just … you mean everything to me. I'm a better person with you than without. _We're_ better together.

"I know I told you that I was afraid of the commitment before, that I wasn't sure I wanted to go where it was leading, but that's the difference here. There's nothing I want more than to have you with me always. Every vision I have of the future, you're in it.

"I know we spend all of our time together already, but I really want us to truly be together—in one apartment, falling asleep together every night, cooking together, making a mess together, everything. If you're not ready, I won't push you, but I want you to know that the –"

I had finally had enough of his little speech, so I put two fingers over his lips to stop the words and get his attention.

A smile spread across my face before I whispered the word that would change our lives.

"Yes."

Edward searched my eyes for the truth behind my response, and finding no doubt in my expression, he crashed his mouth to mine. "You just made me happier than I ever thought possible," he mumbled with his lips still attached to me. "The only thing that could top this will be the day that you agree to be my wife. And, believe me, Bella, I will make you my wife one day."

**OLN**

The rest of our Thanksgiving trip was a whirlwind. I really enjoyed spending time cooking with Esme. She was so much more motherly than my own mother, and it was nice to get to know her better and be so quickly accepted into Edward's family.

Thanksgiving dinner was a loud affair, complete with crazy relatives and tons of laughter. For a while I felt like too much of an outsider, but Edward made sure to include me in everything, whether it was telling me the backstory behind inside jokes or just squeezing my hand under the table to keep us connected.

All of Edward's extended family was nice and welcoming. His parents and grandparents were true visions of what marriage was supposed to be. I was somewhat jealous of his upbringing, considering mine had been so different, but at the end of the day I was thankful that I got to participate and see the love that surrounded them.

We spent Friday hanging out with Emmett and Rose, first ice skating at an outside rink and then having a late lunch and drinks at one of their favorite restaurants. Ice skating came much more naturally this time, and I enjoyed having Edward teach me to skate backwards. Of course, I still made it a point to hold his hand as often as possible, not that he seemed to mind.

Saturday was spent around the house with his parents, since he knew it would be a while until he got to see them again. He told them that I was going to be moving in with him, and it shocked me that they actually seemed pleased about that. I wasn't quite sure my own father would have the same reaction, but in my heart I knew that this was right.

At one point, Edward and Carlisle disappeared for a while as Esme and I cooked dinner. I didn't mind the cooking or spending more time with Esme, but I was curious as to why they seemed to sneak off for a private discussion. Edward's mom continued to make me feel right at home though.

"I can tell that my son loves you very much," she said nonchalantly as she chopped some peppers for the stir fry.

I'm sure my blush gave me away, but I told her as honestly as I could, "I love him as well. He makes me feel like I'm the only thing in the world that matters." I added my sliced mushrooms to the wok.

"As it should be," she stated matter-of-factly. She turned to the sink to wash her knife before regarding me again. "I've never seen him so happy, so I'm thankful to you for making him that way. That's all any mother wants for their child." She moved back to the stove to stir the ingredients. "I'm so glad you came here with him so we could get to know you. As much as I didn't want him to move away from Chicago, I feel better now that I can see for myself how happy he is."

"Well, we'll just have to make a point to come back here as often as possible then," I responded. "I didn't grow up with a big family or traditional holidays, so this weekend has definitely been a treat for me. I hope we get to do it again often."

"You're welcome here anytime, dear," she said, hugging me around my shoulders.

"Thanks, Esme."

"What did I miss?" Edward's soothing voice sounded seconds before his arms enveloped me from behind.

"Just girl talk, sweetheart," Esme answered.

"I thought you were spending time with your dad," I commented.

He kissed the top of my head before reaching for a pepper slice and popping it in his mouth. "We just had something quick to discuss. We're done now."

I couldn't help but notice Edward's beaming grin, as if he had some big secret that he was trying to hold back.

"Anything I can help with?" he asked.

"Why don't you set the table. We're just about finished here so dinner will be ready in about ten minutes," Esme responded. "Oh, and ask your father to get some wine from the cellar."

"Will do," he said, giving Esme a kiss on the cheek before strolling out of the kitchen. I loved watching how affectionate he was with his mother. I knew that family meant everything to him, and my heart was bursting with the knowledge that he would be a great father some day.

We had a quiet and relaxed dinner with just the four of us, and before long Edward and I headed off to bed so we'd be able to get up early to catch our flight the next morning.

There was no nail biting on the flight home as I snuggled into Edward's side.

"My whole family loves you," he said, running his hand up and down my sleeve-covered arm.

I hummed at his touch. "Your family is great. I promised your mom we'd come back often," I told him. "I'm so glad I came with you."

"So am I, baby." He was quiet for a few moments before jumping into the subject we hadn't spoken much about. "When's the lease on your apartment up?"

I giggled a bit at his eagerness. "A little excited, are you?" I teased.

"Well, when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."

"Ok, Harry," I quipped at his movie reference. "My lease has actually been month to month for a while, so I just need to give the leasing company thirty days' notice."

We talked about it a little more and decided that I would give my notice as soon as possible, and then we would have the month of December to get me moved into Edward's apartment. Before this year was over, Edward and I would officially be living together.

I would mostly be moving clothes, with only a few pieces of furniture since Edward already had most of what we needed. I'd keep my dresser and desk, but probably sell or donate everything else. Edward said he would call Jasper this week to see when we could borrow his truck, but in the mean time he would help me bring things over little by little whenever we had the chance. I may have poked fun at him for being eager, but I had to admit that I was just as excited about this change as he was.

We spent the rest of the flight making out like teenagers, thankful that we were in a row with only two seats, not coming up for air until we had to fasten our seatbelts and return our tray tables to their upright position.

I certainly had a lot to be thankful for this year.

* * *

**A/N: Please let me know what you think of the chapter!**

**Come find me on Facebook (Kitchmill Fanfic) or Twitter (at kitchmillfanfic).**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Edited 5/1/13**

As Bella and I walked back to _our_ apartment, I reflected back on how quickly we were able to get her moved out of her place. We had just dropped the key off with her landlord, and stopped for coffee on the way home. I squeezed her hand in mine, and as if she knew what I was thinking, she looked up at me with a bright smile on her face.

It was official. We were living together.

Of course, she hadn't told Charlie yet, but we planned to accomplish that next week when we went to visit him for Christmas. I had something else I needed to discuss with Charlie, but Bella didn't know about that. She also didn't know about the item my dad had given me when we went to Chicago for Thanksgiving. No, that little thing was safely hidden in the music room, nestled in the bottom of a guitar case that I didn't use.

"_Dad, do you have a minute?" I asked him while mom and Bella were in the kitchen._

"_Sure, Edward. What's on your mind?"_

_I started walking toward dad's office for some privacy, and thankfully he followed behind, closing the door after he walked in. We both took a seat on the sofa and I took a deep breath before getting right down to business._

"_I want to propose to Bella soon," I told him in a confident voice._

_He didn't look surprised at al. In fact, a small smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth. "You know your mother and I both love her and think she's wonderful, but are you sure this isn't too soon?"_

"_I've never been more sure of anything," I stated. "As soon as I met Bella, I felt like I found the missing piece of my life. I can't see myself living without her now that I've found her. I'm not planning to propose tomorrow, if that's what you're worried about, but I don't see waiting a year, either. I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with her, if she'll have me."_

"_You know your mother and I will be happy to welcome her to our family," he said. With a slap to my shoulder, he added, "I guess I better go get your great grandmother's ring, huh?"_

When our flight from Chicago landed, Bella and I were both giddy with excitement. Even though we were exhausted from our trip, we went straight to her apartment and gathered as much of her clothes and things as we could before heading back to my place—_our place_.

We unpacked together, put our dirty laundry in the hamper together, and made love together for most of the night.

As I expected, Jasper and Alice were all too willing to help us with the move. Alice squealed on the phone in her knowing way when Bella called to tell her the news. Bella had once told me that Alice had some sort of precognition about the night we met, so she wasn't surprised when Alice already knew that we were moving in together before Bella even got the words out.

Our packing and unpacking became a party of sorts with Jasper and Alice. They would meet us at Bella's place, help load things up and bring them to my place. Then we would have dinner and drinks while we unpacked. I was so glad that Bella had such close friends in her life, and in my life by extension. They were both incredibly supportive, never once commenting that we were moving too fast or asking if we were sure that we knew what we were getting into. Considering that Alice was the one to convince Bella in the beginning, I shouldn't have been surprised by her support.

As of last night, the apartment was completely cleaned out, the remaining furniture either sold or given to Goodwill, and everything that came with Bella had found a home in our apartment. It was amazing how easily her belongings fit in with mine. I hadn't felt that the apartment was empty before she moved in, but contrarily, it also didn't feel cramped with all of her stuff. Now everything was just right, just as it was meant to be.

We finished our coffees as we made our way home, and I was intent on celebrating. It didn't take long for the door to close behind Bella before I had her pushed up against it with our lips attached and my hands in her hair. I guided her head back so I could deepen the kiss and she met me willingly, humming her agreement.

Her eyes were still closed as I pulled back from our heated kiss, and I waited until she looked at me before speaking. "Welcome home, baby."

The glint in her eyes told me she wanted to play just as much as I did. "Why, thank you, Mr. Cullen." She kissed me then, her hands digging into my waist as she pulled our bodies closer together. "I do believe we have a new home to christen," she mumbled against my mouth.

"I think you're right, Miss Swan." I grabbed her ass and lifted her up as her legs quickly wrapped around my waist and she squealed. Moving quickly, I deposited her on the kitchen table. She was still laughing as I unzipped her coat and removed it for her, tossing it somewhere over my shoulder. "I love you," I mumbled before kissing her again.

We kept our lips attached as much as possible while we removed the rest of each others' clothing. Once I had Bella naked before me on the edge of the table, I kissed my way down her body, stopping to worship some of my favorite places. One hand flattened in the middle of her back, supporting her upper body as I reclined her so I could have better access to her chest.

I took one nipple into my mouth and rolled my tongue over it, thoroughly enjoying Bella's moans of pleasure, while my hand worked over her other pink bud, teasing it into a matching stiff peak. After completely ravishing her chest, I continued my journey southward, stopping to swirl my tongue in her belly button and place wet kisses all over her abdomen.

"I think this celebration calls for a feast," I said, laying her back on the table and then sucking on her hipbone, causing her to squirm and moan some more. I loved every reaction she had to my touch, and I especially loved the bright, purple bruise that I left on her hip. It wasn't often that I marked Bella, but the possessive caveman in me did enjoy it.

I made my way to her heated, wet center and couldn't resist teasing her a little, letting my hot breath wash over her clit as I spoke. "What do you think, baby? Would you like it if I had a little feast … right here?" I licked her center very lightly and moaned at the taste, while her hips bucked and she whimpered.

"Please, Edward!" she yelled, trying to squirm closer to my face. Fuck, I loved when she was so desperate for me. I would do anything for her.

Getting down on my knees on the kitchen floor, I tossed her legs over my shoulders and put my whole mouth over her throbbing clit, hearing her gasp as her hips jerked at the sudden contact. I sucked and licked and nibbled just how I knew she liked it, while my hands kneaded the soft skin of her ass.

When I could tell she was getting close, I gently pushed two fingers into her wet pussy while my tongue continued to assault her clit. The feeling of her around my fingers, the taste of her in my mouth, and her scent all around me were going to be my undoing. My cock was leaking pre-cum and I was so hard, wanting to be inside of her.

My fingers thrust in and out of her a few times before I curled them to hit her g-spot and swirled them inside of her. It didn't take long before I felt her orgasm start, her pussy clenching around my fingers, her fingers tightening and tugging my hair, and her legs shaking over my shoulders.

I let her enjoy the sensations for a moment before I gave her what I knew she wanted. I stood quickly and grasped her hips, slamming my cock deep inside of her quivering pussy while I threw her slender legs around my waist. "Yes!" she moaned, as I thrust deep and hard into her repeatedly.

"Fuck, baby … you feel so good." I was nearly incoherent with the sensation of being buried inside of her, and looking at her beautiful body splayed out in front of me. "So beautiful."

"Oh god, Edward … _fuck!_" I felt my cock twitch inside of her as she swore. It wasn't often that she was overly verbal or dirty, but it turned me on so much when she was. "Touch me," she requested breathily. I complied immediately, swirling my thumb over her wet clit in time with my thrusts. I could feel the table inching forward each time I pushed back into her.

I leaned down over her body to suck on her neck just below her ear, and her moans grew in volume. Knowing I wouldn't last much longer, I kicked things up a notch and began to whisper my dirty words into her ear in between licks and sucks. "You like that, baby?" _lick_ "You like when I fuck you hard?" _kiss_ "I'm gonna cum so hard for you, Bella." _suck_ "Are you gonna cum for me?"

"Aaahhh …" she screamed, as I sped up the movements of my thumb and her orgasm started squeezing me. It only took two more thrusts before I exploded deep inside of her with a groan, continuing to thrust irregularly while she milked every last drop out of me.

A moment later, I collapsed lazily on top of her while I tried to catch my breath. Her magic fingers were running through my hair and over my shoulders while her breathing evened out. "I love you," she whispered, kissing the top of my head.

"I love you, too," I told her, kissing her chest above her heart, before lifting my head to look in her eyes. I brushed some hair out of her face and gave her one more kiss, just because I couldn't resist. "Come on, let's go get cleaned up. This can't be comfortable."

She just chuckled and put her hand in my extended one so I could help her off the table.

*OLN*

A week later found us packing the last of the things we needed to take to Forks with us for Christmas. I was nervous about the trip, but for an entirely different reason than when Bella was nervous about going to Chicago. For one thing, I had already met Charlie and seemingly gained his approval. But on this trip, I was hoping to have his approval for even more.

I hadn't met Bella's mother and step-father yet, but unfortunately we wouldn't get to see them until sometime after the new year. Renee wasn't really interested in coming back to Washington, so Bella had promised her that we would visit after the holidays. At least Renee did know that we were living together. Bella spoke to her on the phone every once in a while, and she definitely had a more friend-like relationship with her mom than she did with her dad.

We were about an hour into the drive to Forks when I noticed Bella fidgeting with her hands, her tell that she was nervous about something. I reached over and took her left hand, rubbing my thumb soothingly across her knuckles. "What's the matter, sweetheart?"

"Nothing, really," she responded with hesitation. "It's just, I'm not sure if Charlie will be comfortable with you staying in my room. I mean, he doesn't even know that we live together yet. Ugh, I probably should have told him already."

I could see that she was battling with this so I figured I would ease her tension as much as I could. "Don't worry about it, baby. If Charlie wants me to sleep on the sofa, I will. Not that it will be easy to be away from you, but I can respect his wishes in his house." I lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles before resting our joined hands back on my thigh.

"I'll just have to talk to him," she said in her determined manner. "Because I don't want to be away from you, either."

"Whatever you want, sweetheart. I'll follow your lead." Trying to get her mind off of her upcoming uncomfortable conversation with her father, I changed the subject. "So, are you going to show me around this wonderful town that you grew up in?"

She laughed before reminding me that the tour would take all of fifteen minutes. We chatted easily for the rest of the drive, and before long I drove into the sleepy little town of Forks, WA. Bella pointed out a few things of interest on the way through, and then directed me to the driveway of a modest, white house set apart from the other houses, sitting right on the edge of the woods.

Charlie was out the door to greet us before I even cut the engine. I guess the lack of traffic in this area would immediately let you know when someone arrived at your house. He hugged Bella tight before meeting me at the trunk and shaking my hand. Helping me take the luggage out, we each carried some up the porch steps while Bella grabbed a few things from the back seat.

The interior of the house was incredibly cozy. As soon as I entered, I could see Charlie's favorite spot. The old recliner that faced the TV looked perfectly worn in. Next to it was a comfortable looking couch that I assumed would be my bed for the next few nights. The kitchen and dining room were on the other side of the foyer, also looking well loved and lived in.

Charlie's voice brought me back to the conversation. "I think I got everything on your list, Bells. Take a look in the kitchen after you've settled in and if anything is missing, I'll run out and get it."

"Ok, dad," Bella said as she hung up her coat on a hook near the door. I followed her lead and hung my coat as well. "What's your work schedule?" she asked him.

"I'm working the late shift tonight, and then I'm off for the next two days," Charlie informed us.

"That's good. We'll have plenty of time to catch up then," she said, taking my hand and leading me toward the couch. Charlie followed behind us and headed straight for the recliner. Bella kept a hold on my hand after we sat down and started rubbing my fingers, clearly building up the courage to talk to her dad. I rubbed her thigh gently in support. As I promised her, I was going to follow her lead.

"Dad, I have something to tell you, and I don't want you to be upset that I didn't tell you sooner but I thought I should tell you in person." She was starting to babble already. The nerves must have been getting the better of her so I squeezed her thigh in support.

Charlie eyed me suspiciously, and I could only guess what was going through his mind based on the way her words came out. "Go on," he urged with an edge to his voice.

Bella took a deep breath before continuing. "Edward and I are living together," she blurted out. I chuckled under my breath a bit as I watched Charlie's expression change from murderous to relief.

"Oh … um," Charlie stammered out. "Well, that's great!" he finally said. After Bella explained that she had moved into my apartment, he offered to come see the place the next time he had a few days off.

"Well, that went better than I expected," Bella said later that afternoon while we were lounging in her bedroom.

"Yeah, and I'm glad he's not opposed to letting me sleep in here with you," I added as I grabbed her by her belt loops and pulled her little body over to me on the bed.

"Me, too." She kissed me chastely before plopping down on my lap. "I'm not sure how well I'd even sleep without you next to me."

I agreed with her one hundred percent, knowing that I would feel like a part of me was missing if we weren't together.

We ate lunch with Charlie before Bella started going through the kitchen to make sure she had everything she needed for the next few days. Apparently, Charlie lived on take-out and diner food, so Bella had planned to cook a lot while we were here and freeze the leftovers for him.

I left Bella in the kitchen and went upstairs to take a shower. As I was rinsing off, Bella knocked on the door and poked her head into the bathroom to let me know she was running out to the store. I peeked my head out of the curtain and waved her over with one finger.

She tiptoed across the bathroom, and as soon as she was close enough, I reached out and grabbed her face in my wet hands and planted a searing kiss on her lips. She squeaked and then giggled, still smiling as I pulled back and said, "Ok, now you can go. I love you," I added with another quick kiss.

"I love you, too," she said before she disappeared out the door.

I knew this was my chance to get Charlie alone for a few minutes, so I didn't waste any time. I quickly finished in the shower, got dried off and threw on my clothes before digging into my toiletry bag to find what I needed.

When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I found Charlie exactly where I expected to see him—reclining in his chair with a soda in one hand and the remote in the other. He looked up from the TV as I entered the room.

"Bells just ran out to the grocery store for a few minutes. Seems I'm always missing something on her lists," he chuckled.

I nervously cleared my throat. "Uh, yeah … she told me she was going." I paused to gather my courage as I took a seat near him on the couch. "I actually wanted to talk to you for a few minutes if you have time."

His eyes penetrated me and I tried to stay strong under his glare. Finally, he pointed the remote at the TV and turned it off before giving me his full attention again. "What's on your mind, Edward?"

My hand ran through my hair a few times while I took a deep breath. "Charlie, I hope you know that Bella means the world to me. I love her very much."

He nodded and agreed. "I can see that. She seems to think that you hung the moon. I just hope you don't end up disappointing her."

"Believe me, Charlie … I will do whatever it takes to make her happy, _always_. She's changed my life for the better, and I really can't imagine a future without her in it." I took another deep breath before continuing. "Charlie, I'd like to have your blessing to ask Bella to marry me. I know we haven't known each other very long, but I've known for a while already that she's it for me. And, well, even though she already agreed to live together, I'd really like nothing more than to make her my wife." I pulled my great grandmother's ring out of my pocket and held it out for him to see.

I kept looking at Charlie with all of the sincerity I could muster, my hand still holding the velvet ring box in the air, until I noticed his mustache starting to twitch. It kept twitching until quiet laughter started to come from him. My face must have shown my confusion as Charlie let out his loud guffaws.

"I'm sorry, Edward," he finally choked out between bursts of laughter. "I'm not laughing at you, I swear." He started taking deep breaths, trying to calm down, while my hand landed in my lap with a defeated thud. "Really, I'm sorry … it's just, well I had to talk to Alice last week about a Christmas present for Bella."

Suddenly, a light went on in my head. I don't know how Alice did it, but she must have seen this coming and told Charlie what to expect.

"You know Alice, right?" he asked. I just nodded with a small smile on my lips. "Yeah, well, she kind of told me that you and Bells would be engaged by the end of the year."

"Gotta love Alice," I said with sarcasm. "That's funny though, because I haven't even decided when I want to propose yet. I just knew I wanted to talk to you while we were here."

"Well, I know better than to bet against Alice, so I'm just gonna say congratulations now," he said with a slap to my shoulder. "You've got my blessing, kid. Not that you really need it. I've never seen Bella as happy as she's been these past few months. Just take care of my girl, Edward."

"I will, Charlie. I promise." My ears perked up at the sound of a car approaching the house. "I'm just gonna …" I said, gesturing to the ring box and pointing to the stairs. Charlie waved me off and turned the TV back on.

By the time Bella made it into the house, I was back on the couch laughing at _That 70's Show_ with Charlie. She waved me off when I offered to help with the groceries and disappeared into the kitchen.

The day of Christmas Eve was spent mostly in the house, with Bella in the kitchen cooking and baking up a storm, while Charlie and I had a few beers and played cards. Bella declined all of my offers to help her cook, saying that she was happy to see Charlie and me getting along so well.

After she finished baking six different kinds of cookies, Charlie and I helped her package them up so we could deliver them to the station. All three of us went over to the station to drop off the cookies for all of Charlie's deputies. Bella was enveloped in hug after hug from everyone who worked there. Both she and Charlie introduced me to their extended family, and we stayed to chat for a little while.

When we finally made it back to the house, Bella heated up a delicious dinner and we took our plates into the den to watch Christmas movies while we ate. Charlie didn't have many decorations up, just a small tree in the corner with a few lights and ornaments, but I was still enchanted with the spirit just by being close to my girl.

Charlie went to bed after we decided to watch _A Christmas Story_ for the second time, and we were finally left alone on the couch cuddled up under a blanket.

"Do you want your presents now, or tomorrow morning?" I asked softly, stroking my girl's hair.

"Hmmm …" She cuddled closer, laying her head on my chest. "Let's wait until morning," she said sleepily.

"You ready for bed, beautiful?"

"Yeah, I think so. How about you?"

"Come on, let's go," I said, lifting her off of my lap. "The sooner I get you to bed, the sooner I can wake up with you on Christmas morning."

We walked quietly up the stairs to Bella's room and I closed the door behind us. Figuring that Bella was already tired, I started undressing to get ready for bed, but Bella had other plans.

Just as I had taken off my shirt, I felt her walk up behind me and snake her arms around to my stomach. "You know," she said against my back, "I've never had a boy in my bedroom either."

"Is that so?" I asked, turning to face her, and finding that she was already stripped down to just her bra and panties. "Well, I do believe we'll have to do something about that then," I said, wiggling my eyebrows at her. I lowered my mouth to her neck as my hands reached around to unclasp her bra, and she moaned as soon as my tongue hit her skin. "You'll have to keep quiet though, baby."

Merry Christmas, indeed!

*OLN*

Christmas morning was a relatively laid back affair in the Swan household. Bella woke me up with kisses on my neck and chest, and her fingers in my hair.

"Merry Christmas, baby," I said in a groggy morning voice as I tightened my grip on her tiny body.

"Merry Christmas," she said with a bright smile. "Charlie's already up, so I thought we should get downstairs soon."

I pouted. "You sure we can't stay here for a little longer?" She laughed at me so I relented. "Fine," I huffed. "I guess _that_ part of your present will have to wait."

Laughing harder, she smacked my chest. "Come on, big guy. Let's get dressed."

Charlie had coffee ready and some Christmas music on the stereo by the time we got downstairs. The tree was lit up, and presents were scattered around underneath it. We said our good mornings and then started handing out gifts.

Bella had a tradition of purchasing a subscription to Charlie's favorite fishing magazine every year, so he wasn't surprised to open the card indicating that he would receive another twelve months of _Sport Fishing Magazine_. We also got him a new vest and boots, which he loved and admitted he would never buy for himself.

I was surprised at the pile of gifts in front of me, since it was just the three of us. The first presents that I opened were from Charlie. He had given me a Mariners baseball cap and a Seahawks hooded sweatshirt, proclaiming that I had better be rooting for the correct teams.

He gave Bella some clothes, which explained why he had been on the phone with Alice.

Bella directed me on the order that I had to open the gifts from her. The first package contained a few books with sheet music for piano—one contained classical music, one classic rock, and the last had current songs. I was a little confused considering she knew I didn't have a piano that I could play on, but thanked her with a soft kiss.

The next present that she handed me looked like a journal, almost similar to the one Charlie had given Bella for her birthday. Only, when I opened it, I realized that it was pages of blank sheet music. "Wow, sweetheart, this is great!" I told her, wrapping my arms around her for a hug. This would be put to use immediately.

Handing me an envelope, she told me that this was the last one. I opened it and pulled out a picture of what looked like an electronic keyboard. Bella explained that it was a digital piano, and that I'd be able to hook it up to my computer to record compositions. "It's a bit of a selfish gift," she told me. "I loved hearing you play when we were at your parents' house, so this way you can play for me, and you can record it so I can have it on my iPod."

"Bella, I love it," I said sincerely, hugging her tight again. "This is so awesome! I can't wait to be able to use it!"

She explained that it was at Alice and Jasper's apartment, so we could pick it up as soon as we got back to Seattle.

I finally got to give my presents to Bella. She squealed and bounced on the sofa when she opened the hardcover boxed set of her favorite vampire books. I knew she'd like that, since her paperbacks were pretty much falling apart from overuse.

Next I handed her an envelope, which she quickly tore into. Her eyes got wide and teary as she realized what she was holding. She gave me a big kiss and said, "This is going to be the best New Year's Eve ever!"

"Alice and Jasper are going to go also," I told her, referring to the tickets in her hand.

She was still shaking her head in disbelief. "I can't believe you got us tickets to see the BoDeans at Club Eclipse! This is going to be awesome!" She hugged me again, a little harder this time.

Although I was glad she appreciated the sentimentality of the gift, I still had one more present for her. I picked it up and nudged her side with the package. She looked down at the small wrapped box and looked back at me as if to ask "more?"

In my opinion, I couldn't do enough for my girl. She didn't like me spoiling her on a regular basis, so I was definitely going to take advantage of a holiday like Christmas. She took the small, flat box from my hand and started to carefully unwrap it.

"Edward," she admonished, when she saw the signature light blue box inside.

I saw Charlie eyeing us from his recliner, and I just shook my head to let him know that it wasn't time for _that_ yet. "Just open it, sweetheart."

Bella slowly opened the box and gasped as she saw the silver bracelet and heart charm inside. "Edward, it's beautiful," she said with tears in her eyes. "Will you put it on for me?"

"Of course." I took the bracelet from the box and opened the clasp, placing it gently on the wrist she held out for me. Turning the bracelet around so the charm sat on the top of her wrist, I brought her hand up to me and placed a kiss on the back of her wrist. "I hope you like it."

"I love it, baby." She threw her arms around me again and I held her tightly.

"Merry Christmas, Bella. I love you," I said quietly into her ear.

"I love you, too … so much." She kissed the crook of my neck and squeezed her arms around me tighter. And I knew, neither one of us was ever going to let go.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed their first Christmas together. Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts.**

**Don't forget to come find me on Facebook. I'm Kitchmill Fanfic. You never know what I'll be posting over there… teasers, story recs, pictures of Rob... I'm also on Twitter (at kitchmillfanfic).**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Edited 5/1/13**

Bella and I had returned from Forks a few days ago, after spending Christmas with her father. We had a nice visit with him, and thankfully I secured his blessing to ask Bella to be my wife. Since then, I had been planning and plotting my proposal, but nothing I came up with seemed to be right. Bella was such a simple woman, not needing or wanting fancy dinners or grand gestures.

I had been playing with my new digital piano since we got home, and toyed with the idea of writing her a song. But that still wasn't cutting it as far as proposals go. I had resigned myself to the fact that when the time was right, I would know it, and decided to stop worrying about it so much. Of course, I was carrying the ring around with me everywhere now, thinking that an idea would strike at any time and I wanted to be ready.

We settled into our life of living together easily, as if things had always been like this. There were disagreements from time to time, but for the most part everything was perfect. One of our biggest disagreements had been about money. I figured that this was something that every couple went through.

Bella had insisted on paying part of the rent, and I told her it wasn't necessary. I was able to afford living here before she moved in, so there was no need for her to pay for anything other than some of the food that we shared. But, I should have known better. Being the independent woman that she was, she wanted to contribute equally.

Ultimately, I had to relent—for now. I couldn't use my biggest argument yet, which was that one day she would be my wife and we would share everything, so it didn't matter which pocket the money came from. Although I had told her over Thanksgiving that I wanted to marry her, I wanted my proposal to be a complete surprise so I held back on using that point.

I did see the hypocritical nature of that argument, too. If everything would eventually be "ours" then it shouldn't matter if she was paying. But my need to take care of her still won out in my head. At the end of the day, I managed to convince myself that this was temporary, so I let her win.

We gathered our coats and locked up the apartment, heading over to Alice and Jasper's place to meet up before the BoDeans show. Alice wanted Bella there early, insisting that she had to help Bella get ready for the night. I didn't mind, but I also thought Bella was beautiful just the way she was and didn't need Alice's help. Bella didn't seem too happy about it either, but knowing her best friend wouldn't give up, Bella gave in to make her happy.

Jasper and I kicked back with a few beers while the girls were locked in the bedroom. I was so glad for his easy friendship.

"Looking forward to the show?" I asked him.

"Eh, it's not really my style, but Ali likes them so I'm just happy to have a fun night out with everyone," he responded honestly. Just like me, he would do anything to make his girl happy.

"At least the show is at a club, so we can still drink and have a typical New Year's Eve. I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be over before midnight, so it will probably turn into a regular party at that point."

"Yeah, I'm sure I'll have a good time no matter what." He took another swig of his beer before continuing. "It's not like I hate the band or anything."

I played with the label on my bottle. "Our love of the BoDeans is one of the things that brought Bella and me together, so I'm really looking forward to going to see them with her." I ran my hand through my hair nervously.

Jasper chuckled as he set his bottle on the coffee table. "You two are too much sometimes." He leaned back on the couch, stretching his legs in front of him. "I've never seen Bells as happy as she's been since you came into her life."

I tried to hold my smile to something not so embarrassing and goofy, but had a feeling I failed miserably. "She's done the same for me, man. I feel like I don't even remember my life before she was in it."

"I'm happy for you both," he said, slapping me on the shoulder before looking at the clock. "Ali, let's go!" he bellowed in the general direction of the bedroom. "You wanted to get there early to get a good spot."

The club was general admittance, which essentially meant that while there would be some seating available, the audience would mostly be crowded on the dance floor the entire time. I knew we would have fun no matter what, and if we were squished together, I'd just have to hold my girl all night. No problem for me.

Alice and Bella finally emerged from the bedroom, and I think my heart stopped beating for a moment. I stepped in front of her to get a better look. "You look gorgeous," I told her as I took in her appearance from head to toe. She had a bit of makeup on, but not too much to hide her beautiful face. It was just enough to enhance her features even more. Her hair fell in loose waves over her shoulders, looking so soft that I had to run my fingers through it as I reached her for a hug. She wore a navy blue, silky V-neck top—my favorite color on her—that accentuated her curvy figure. I couldn't wait until she turned around so I could see her ass in those skin tight dark jeans. I could feel myself hardening already.

"I love you," I said as I pulled her closer and placed a soft kiss on her lips. She looked up at me with bright eyes and a smile.

"Love you, too."

"Let's get going," Alice commanded. I had almost forgotten that they were there.

We made our way to the club and found that the line wasn't terribly long. It was only about fifteen minutes until the doors would open, so we wouldn't have to be out in the snow and cold for very long. Regardless, I pulled Bella's body toward mine and wrapped my arms around her while Alice chatted excitedly about the show.

Bella kept a grip on my arms, eventually linking our gloved fingers together while she and Alice talked. I kissed the top of her head and hugged her to me a little tighter. Although I was excited to see the band and hear them play live, sharing the experience with Bella was really the highlight of the night.

The line finally started moving and we made our way inside. Jasper took everyone's coats to the coat check while the girls scoped out a good spot on the floor and I made my way to the bar to get drinks for everyone. We had a half hour to hang out while the club slowly filled up. The band had already set up on stage, so I wandered a little closer for a few minutes to admire the instruments after everyone had their drinks.

The place was crowded but not overly so by the time the lights dimmed to signal the start of the show and I made my way back to Bella. I pulled her back into my chest and wrapped my arms around her again as the emcee announced the band. She turned and looked at me with a huge smile, excitement shining in her eyes. I kissed her and whispered "I love you" in her hear as the band took the stage.

Turning back to the stage, she leaned her weight into me and I held her close. It was then that I realized I needed to shift her a bit, lest she feel the box that was sitting in my pocket. My loose jeans and untucked shirt hid it from view, but I didn't want her to notice it by pressing it into her hip.

The band came out on stage to loud cheers and whistles from the crowd. They started off with a popular song to get everyone dancing and singing. Bella and I swayed together to the music, and a few times I felt her squeeze my arms in acknowledgement. I turned to my right and was surprised to see that even Jasper was enjoying the music. Alice was positively giddy, singing and dancing around him.

As the concert continued, my mind drifted to how this underappreciated band had brought Bella and me together that first morning after we met. I remembered giving her my T-shirt, and the look on her face when she realized what was on it. I also remembered how she sang out a line from one of their songs, and I completed it—just like she completes me. And that line couldn't have been more fitting for the two of us. _If I can hold you tonight, I might never let go._

Suddenly, all of my planning for the perfect moment seemed to be a waste, because the perfect moment had just dropped itself in my lap. The crowd cheered as the last song ended, and I took advantage of Bella's momentary distraction with clapping to reach into my pocket and pull out the ring box.

It felt like the heavens had aligned for me tonight, because as I spun Bella around to face me, the band started to play _Naked_, the song I played for Bella the night I told her that I love her for the first time. I pulled her body close and started dancing with her, my hand behind her back tightly grasping the small box.

"You know," I murmured in her ear. "This will forever be a special song for me."

"Me, too," she agreed, pulling back from my tight embrace enough to smile at me and then kiss me lightly. She tried to deepen the kiss, but I pulled away.

"I'm not sure if you realize just how much you mean to me, Bella," I said, pushing some hair off of her face and sweeping it behind her ear. Cupping her cheek and looking deep into her beautiful brown eyes, I continued saying what was on my mind, in my heart, not having prepared any kind of speech. "You make me happier than I ever thought possible. I can't even imagine a day of my life without you in it." She was blushing furiously at my words. "And, I hope I don't ever have to be without you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, taking care of you, being your partner, loving you …"

I quietly opened the box behind her back, then slid my hands around her waist, taking hold of her left hand as I dropped down to my knee. She let out a small gasp when she saw what I was doing. I raised my voice a bit to be heard over the music when I said, "Isabella Marie Swan, will you do me the extraordinary honor of becoming my wife?"

Holding up the ring box, I watched her face as tears started streaming down her cheeks. She cupped her hand over her mouth and then began nodding furiously. "Yes?" I asked nervously.

She nodded some more, appearing unable to speak, before finally moving her hand and shouting, "Yes!"

I quickly took the ring from the box and slid it on her finger, kissing her knuckle just above it before jumping to my feet and grabbing her around her waist. I picked her up and swung her little body around as our mouths met and we kissed like we had never kissed before. I could taste the saltiness of tears as we kissed, but I was no longer sure that they were only hers. She had just made me the happiest man alive.

We kissed in our own little bubble for a minute before I noticed that the room was eerily quiet. I pulled back from Bella and darted my eyes around, finding Jasper and Alice standing next to us; Jasper with his mouth open, Alice with a huge smile and her cell phone in her hand. The people in front of us had turned away from the stage to look at us, as were most of the other people in our immediate area. Bella hid her face in my chest, clearly embarrassed to be the center of attention.

That was when I really looked, and saw that it wasn't just the audience gaping at our scene. The band had stopped playing, or finished the song—I don't know which because I was lost in my own little world with Bella.

The lead singer leaned into the microphone, looking right at us, and said, "Dude, did you just propose?"

I couldn't contain my smile as I nodded at him, sure he wouldn't hear me from the stage.

"I'm guessing she said yes?" he asked, and I kept nodding furiously. "Get on up here, you two!"

I finally put Bella down and looked at her. She was wiping the tears from her face but laughing, so I just cocked my head toward the stage asking silently if she wanted to go. She nodded and laughed some more, so I took her hand and started to walk up there. Alice and Jasper now wore matching smiles as we walked past them, shouting their congratulations as we went.

We made our way up onto the stage, with our hands clasped tightly together. The lead singer asked our names, so I proudly said, "I'm Edward, and this is my fiancée, Bella." Turning to her, I kissed her temple and wrapped my arm around her shoulder.

"Well, congratulations, you two! I think this is the most exciting thing that has ever happened at one of our shows. I think we all enjoyed watching that little scene unfold, didn't we?" he asked, turning to the crowd. We were met with roars of approval. "So, let us help you make this night extra special. Is there a song we can play for you?"

Bella and I looked at each other, wide smiles on both of our faces, before we turned back and answered in unison. "_Still the Night._"

"Wow," he said, looking at us and chuckling. He turned back to the audience and announced, "For Edward and Bella!" just as the music started.

Bella and I moved off to the side of the stage while the band played the song that brought us together. I took her in my arms once again and danced with her slowly, in direct contrast to the upbeat music that was playing.

_If I can hold you tonight, I might never let go  
__If I can hold you tonight, I might never let go  
__If I can hold you tonight, I might never, no never, let go_

_I like the way you dance, I like the way you paint your lips  
__And if I had a chance, to be with you, I wouldn't slip  
__So hey what do you say, just see a thing or two in me  
__Then let's be on our way, we don't need no other company_

_If I can hold you tonight, I might never let go  
__If I can hold you tonight, I might never let go  
__If I can hold you tonight, I might never, no never, let go_

_Well we don't need no wine, and we don't need no other stuff  
_'_Cause we'll be doing fine, from being close and tastin' love  
__So when the night set ends, we'll close the curtains way up tight  
__And then we'll just pretend, that it isn't day, but still the night_

_If I can hold you tonight, I might never let go  
__If I can hold you tonight, I might never let go  
__If I can hold you tonight, I might never, no never, let go_

_There's a fire burnin' deep down in your eyes  
__It's got me almost hypnotized …_

When the song ended, the band congratulated us again and we made our way back down to Jasper and Alice who were waiting with glasses of champagne for us. Jasper gave me a pat on the back while Alice practically bowled Bella over in congratulations. When she turned to congratulate me, I thought I had been hit by a boulder as her tiny, little being rammed into me and wrapped her arms around me.

"I'm so happy for you two!" Alice gushed. "That was the most perfect proposal I have ever seen."

"Thanks, Alice," I said, once I had regained my senses. "And, thanks for always supporting our relationship. It means a lot to have you guys in our corner."

The champagne was finally passed around and we all held up our glasses as Jasper proposed a toast.

"To a new year, and new lives together!" We all clinked our glasses together and drank to the future.

Bella and I remained wrapped around each other until the band finished the show. I reveled in the feel of my girl held tightly in my arms, knowing that I never had to let her go. Someday—soon, if I had my way—she would be my wife. That thought sent a feeling of euphoria throughout my body. I couldn't wait to get her home and make love to her all night long.

Out of courtesy to Alice and Jasper, we stayed at the bar for the countdown to the new year. When the clock struck midnight, the cheers of the crowd were drowned out by Bella's warm lips against mine. I knew this was the first of many years we would ring in together. Her soft tongue met mine as I groaned into her mouth. With one hand cupping her face and the other pulling her waist close to me, I sucked her bottom lip into my mouth and ran my tongue over it, earning me a whimper from Bella.

Knowing I could have continued kissing her into the next year, I finally pulled away and met her eyes.

"Happy New Year, baby."

Her bright eyes danced with a glow of happiness. "Happy New Year, Edward. I love you."

"I love you, too. More than anything," I promised.

Bella held her hand up in front of her body and admired the ring. "I can't believe we're getting married!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with joy.

I grabbed her hand and kissed it again. I'd never get enough of seeing that ring on her finger. "Do you like the ring?"

"I love it. It's perfect." She sighed.

"It belonged to my great grandmother," I told her and she gasped. "My dad always told me I could have it if I wanted it. I know it's not traditional, but I've always loved it and I thought you would, too. If you want something more traditional, we can go tomorrow …"

Bella cut me off with a kiss. "I really love it, Edward. And, I love it even more because it's a part of your family history."

She wrapped her arms around me as I let out the breath I had been holding. "If you're sure …"

"I'm sure. Absolutely sure." She kissed me again. "Just curious, how come your dad offered it to you and not Emmett?"

"My parents gave Emmett another piece of family jewelry, but I think he knows that antique is not Rose's style so he'll probably just take it apart and use the stones for something different."

"Well, it sounds like Emmett knows his woman as well as you know yours," she said with a sly smile. "Antique is perfect for me. I love you."

Kissing her more deeply, I showed her how much I loved her and how happy I was that she was going to be my wife.

We shared hugs and wishes for a happy new year with Alice and Jasper before saying our goodbyes for the night. Alice hugged me tightly again, repeating how happy she was for us, and letting me know that she got the whole thing on video. Leave it to Alice to know what was coming before I did, and be prepared to record it.

"When I saw you reach into your pocket," she started. "I knew what was coming. I doubt you can hear the words on the video, but trust me, you can see all of the emotion."

"Thank you," I said sincerely, kissing her on the top of her head. "Will you email me the video tomorrow?"

"Absolutely," she replied with a wink.

After grabbing our coats from the coat check, Bella and I made our way outside and walked the short distance to our apartment with our arms wrapped around each other.

Once inside the apartment, I decided that tonight I was going to take my time worshipping my future wife. Not that I doubted that she knew how much I loved her, but sometimes it felt like words just weren't enough. I wanted to show her with my body that my heart was full for her.

I locked the door behind us and helped her out of her coat, placing it on the rack by the door before removing mine. Before she could move too far from me, I took Bella's hand in mine and led her to our bedroom.

Standing behind her, I swept her long hair over one shoulder while I kissed down the side of her exposed neck. I could feel her breathing pick up as she leaned her head to the side to allow me more access. "You look so beautiful tonight," I whispered in her ear. Reaching down to her left hand, I took it in mine and held it up in front of her. "But, now I need to see you in nothing but this ring."

She turned to me with a seductive smile on her face before catching my lips with her own. Her fingers threaded through my hair as I reached for the hem of her shirt, letting my fingers brush lazily across the soft skin above her jeans momentarily until I started moving them upward, millimeters at a time, taking her shirt with me.

Her arms reached up high, allowing me to lift the shirt over her head, breaking our kiss only long enough to pull it from her body. Like magnets drawn to metal, my hands instinctively reached for her breasts, cupping and squeezing them through the thin material of her bra. Low moans from the back of Bella's throat spurred me on, and my mouth wandered down the creamy skin of her neck and chest while my fingers pinched and pulled at her nipples.

Reaching back, I unhooked the clasp of her bra, slowly pulling the straps from her shoulders and arms, enjoying the beautiful flush of her skin as I drank in every lovely feature with my eyes.

Bella reached for the hem of my shirt, but I caught her hands in mine. "Not yet. Let me love you first," I said softly. Her cheeks and chest burned crimson as I pushed her back toward our bed and slowly laid her down in the middle.

Kissing a hot trail down the middle of her chest, my fingers quickly opened the button and zipper of her jeans. Using my flat palms, I slowly slid them down her thighs along with her underwear while my mouth followed the path, licking and sucking at her heated skin. She arched her back and lifted her hips to help me, whimpering and moaning at the feel of my mouth and hands all over her body. I wished like hell that I had more hands, because there was no piece of her skin that I didn't want to touch.

I sat back on the edge of the bed after removing the rest of her clothes and reveled in the view of my future wife. She was a picture of perfection. "I can't believe you're mine," I mumbled as I kissed my way back up her leg. "All mine … forever."

She gasped softly, and I couldn't determine if it was from my actions or my words until she whispered, "All yours."

I finished with her left leg and moved back to her right ankle, repeating my kisses and whispering my words of love and devotion.

When I made my way back up to the apex of her thighs, my hands wandered around to her fleshy cheeks, lifting her hips toward my mouth. She moaned loudly as my mouth made contact with her clit, my tongue swirling around and then flattening. I licked hard from her entrance back to her nub and then burrowed my face in to give us both what we wanted.

She panted my name as I worked her over, kneading her beautiful ass all the while. I continued to suck and lick and pull on her sensitive flesh until she was writhing against me. Pushing her hips down to the bed with one hand, I thrust two fingers into her hot center and twisted them around with the other.

"Oh, god …" she moaned, causing me to increase my efforts. "Ah … _Edward _… ahhh!" she screamed as she came, her muscles twitching around my fingers and her legs shaking at my shoulders.

I kissed her inner thighs a few more times while she came down from her high, and then worked my way back up her body. Her little hands latched onto the sides of my face as she grabbed me and thrust her tongue into my mouth. I groaned at the thought of her tasting herself on me and met her eager kisses with matched intensity.

Her fingers drifted down my back and under my shirt, scratching at my skin and causing my lust to surge even further. Reaching behind my back, I whipped my shirt off and let my weight drop onto her body, enjoying the feel of her hot skin on mine.

I tried to keep my lower half from thrusting into her, not wanting to hurt her sensitive skin with the harsh material of my jeans. But we were always of like mind in this state, and I felt her eager hands working to open my fly. Sitting back on my knees between her legs, I quickly finished what she started and shed the rest of my clothes, returning to the view of my gorgeous girl waiting for me.

"You look so sexy with nothing on but that ring," I told her sincerely.

A shy smile crossed her face before she sat up and wrapped herself around my body. "I need you now, baby. I want to make love to my future husband."

My right hand cupped her jaw as our foreheads met and our eyes locked on each other. "Fuck, you have no idea how incredible that sounds to me."

With little fanfare, she lifted her body and took my erection in her hand, stroking it twice before slowly lowering herself onto my length. She stilled as her ass met my thighs, and I wrapped my arms tightly around her waist, holding her to me and savoring the feeling of being completely joined with her.

"I love you," I breathed, tangling my fingers in her silky hair.

"I love you, too," she said, catching my lips between hers and slowly starting to rock our bodies together.

We kept the pace slow and steady, with an intensity that was overwhelming. Our bodies were completely melded together, and our mouths barely parted. Her chest was pressed tightly to mine, and groans escaped my mouth as I felt her tight nipples rubbing against me.

After an eternity, Bella began to move faster against me. My eyes squeezed shut as I tried to hold back against the new sensation. She rained kisses down all over my face until her breathing picked up to the point where she couldn't kiss me anymore.

Uncontrollable moans filled the room along with the wet sound of where we were joined. I squeezed a hand between us and rubbed her as my hips involuntarily moved harder against hers. We finally came within seconds of each other, her explosion triggering me in a way that I had never felt with anyone before her.

We stayed wrapped in each other for some time, my mind rejoicing once again over a seemingly simple decision to go out by myself one lonely night a few months ago. I'm glad I didn't know what was in store for me that night, but now I would never regret a single choice that led me to that restaurant … that table … that beautiful girl.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing. Reviews really make my day. Welcome to all of my new readers!**

**Special thanks to LayAtHomeMom for recommending my story. She is also a first time writer, and I am absolutely in love with her story, In Your Room. It's hysterical fun with some drama, and a dirty talking Edward—my favorite! Go check it out and show her some love.**

**Don't forget to come find me on Facebook to see what other stories I love. I'm Kitchmill Fanfic, or at kitchmillfanfic on Twitter.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Edited 5/2/13**

Sunlight blazed into the room, heating my naked back and warming me all over. Even in March, the Phoenix sun was hot, but thankfully not too overpowering. I almost didn't remember what it was like to live here after being in rainy and cloudy Washington for so many years.

My eyes fluttered open and landed on Edward's greens just before he leaned over and kissed me.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," he said after his soft kiss.

"Morning," I smiled back at him groggily. "I guess yesterday's flight wiped me out more than I realized."

"Your mom and Phil are already up, and I was just about to go offer to help with breakfast. Join us whenever you're ready." My fiancé planted one more kiss on my lips and then slipped out of bed. It was only then that I realized he was already wearing shorts, so he must have been up to use the bathroom already. I watched as he slipped a T-shirt over his muscular back, my thighs clenching a bit at the sight of his smooth muscles bunching and rippling.

"You sure I can't persuade you to come back to bed for a bit?" I asked, bringing a naked thigh out from under the cover.

Edward turned around and watched me move with a heated look in his eyes. "As much as I'd love to," he said, crawling over to me on the bed, "I'm not sure you'd be able to keep quiet with what I want to do to you right now." The look on his face was feral.

He kissed me long and hard, causing me to moan into his mouth. "See what I mean?" he said with a smirk. "Later, sweetheart." With a wink, he rose gracefully from the bed and strolled out the door of the guest room, closing it softly behind him, leaving me pouting and alone.

I knew he was right, and we had already pushed our luck last night. Mom's house was a single storey and her room was right next to the guest room that we were staying in. You really could hear everything that went on from anywhere in the house. Last night, we had waited until mom and Phil had gone to sleep, but even then I was afraid we made too much noise.

As I put some clothes on and went across the hall to the bathroom, I reminded myself that I was a grown woman, and Edward was my fiancé. Still, it would be embarrassing for my mother and step-father to hear us, but we were consenting adults and there was nothing wrong with it.

I brushed my teeth, remembering my mom's immediate fondness for Edward. After hugging me within an inch of my life at the airport baggage claim, she turned to Edward and treated him to the same welcome. I think he was looking forward to working his charm to win mom over, and was shocked that there was no need. At dinner, she couldn't stop gushing to me about how handsome he was, and how well mannered, and how smart … After a while, I began to feel that had he been ten years older and NOT engaged to her daughter, she might have made a pass at him.

Thankfully, she kept her hands to herself. It probably helped that her husband was at the same table.

Phil and Edward got along fine, immediately bonding over a love of baseball and other sports. Men were too easy sometimes.

I made my way down the hall to the kitchen and found Edward standing over the stove tending to a pan of scrambled eggs while Phil pulled a tray of bacon out of the broiler. Luckily for all of us, mom was seated at the table with the newspaper and a cup of coffee. That was about as useful as she got in the kitchen.

Mom smiled at me as I entered. "Morning, baby. Sleep ok?" she asked with a smirk on her face. I guess we weren't as quiet as we thought.

"Great, mom. Thanks," I muttered, trying to keep my face from turning into a tomato.

"Ah, young love …" she sighed quietly. So much for discreet.

"Morning, Bella," Phil said when he turned around to place the plate of bacon on the table. "Edward and I are going to go to the batting cages today while you girls go do your girly stuff."

"Oh, I have so many shops I want to take you to, Bella!" my mom gushed.

Edward turned from the stove and handed me a cup of coffee, already doctored up the way I like it. With a kiss to my temple, he quietly chuckled out a "good luck" before turning back to the stove.

"Thanks," I muttered, knowing I was going to need strength for what my mom had planned. It was bad enough that Alice had been dragging me all over Seattle for wedding preparations, but since I hadn't found "the dress" yet, my mom was determined that we would find it today.

I was glad that Edward knew how I felt with all of this and was ok with it. Neither of us wanted a big, fancy wedding, and since we decided to get married less than six months after getting engaged, our options were limited anyway.

Not that it wouldn't be a nice wedding, but we just didn't see the need to invite a ton of people we barely knew or spend a lot of money on frivolous things. Even though Edward's parents offered to pay for the whole thing, we both easily decided that this was something we wanted to do ourselves in order to make it the wedding that _we_ wanted. We didn't want the Cullens inviting a ton of Chicago socialites that we didn't even know. Even more so, it kept things from being awkward since my parents wouldn't have a lot of people to invite.

I had nothing against Carlisle and Esme's friends, and didn't want to offend them with not having a big, elaborate affair. Thankfully, everyone understood that I was not one for wanting to be the center of attention, even on my wedding day. Edward was completely supportive and agreed that the day should be about us. And, as I should have known, my future in-laws were entirely understanding. Esme had gushed over the phone about how the wedding was going to be perfect for us during one of our many recent phone conversations.

We would all leave the big, society wedding to Emmett and Rosalie, as soon as she said yes.

Edward's parents had decided that their gift to us would be to pay for our honeymoon. Edward wanted to surprise me, so I left all of the planning to him and his parents.

After our New Years Eve engagement, my maid of honor and best friend wasted no time in becoming my wedding planner. She loved every minute of it and took a lot of pressure off of me, plus she said it was good practice for when Jasper popped the question. We were all pretty sure that would be soon.

We looked at about ten different venues in Seattle before Edward and I decided on The Edgewater Hotel, a beautiful venue overlooking Elliott Bay.

Alice and I found a few bridesmaids dresses that we liked, but we were waiting to make a final decision. For one thing, Alice insisted that we couldn't pick out her and Rosalie's dresses without making sure they complimented mine. Also, I wanted Rose to have some say in it since she was my only other bridesmaid. She and Emmett would be visiting in two weeks, so we planned to shop then.

The bridal party worked out perfectly, since Edward asked Emmett to be his best man, and Jasper to be his only other groomsman.

I sat on the couch after breakfast, delaying the inevitable. Phil and Edward had already left for their day at the batting cages, and as much as I hated playing sports, I couldn't help but feel that it would have been less torture to go with them.

Mom walked into the living room with my shoes and purse in her hands. "Come on, Bella," she pleaded. "It's not like I get to do much wedding planning with my only daughter."

She sure knew how to lay it on thick. With a deep breath, I pulled myself up off the couch and took my shoes from her. "What's in the bag?" I asked, noticing the linen shopping bag hanging from her arm.

"I have shoes for both of us. If we're going to be trying on dresses, we'll need heels to see how they will actually look." Surprisingly, even Alice hadn't gone that far in her dress shopping madness. Only twice did she make me put on a pair of heels from the store to see if it made a dress look any better. It looked like today was going to be more torture than I thought. I was hoping I could divert attention from myself by focusing on what my mom would wear.

Mom didn't even want to stay long in the first store that we went to. I could see her nose turn up as soon as we walked in. Renee was far from prissy, but even I had to agree with her that the shop was not going to have what we needed. The majority of racks that I could see from the entrance housed cheap looking junior's dresses in bright colors and very short lengths.

The second store held much more promise and sophistication. Gorgeous gowns hung from every available surface, and there were racks upon racks of veils and head pieces. The store was spacious with several viewing areas, each equipped with plush couches and coffee tables.

We were immediately approached by a sales associate who introduced herself as Gianna in an Italian accent, and Renee jumped right in talking about the style of bridal gown that I was looking for. I tried to deflect and asked about mother of the bride dresses, but like Alice, Renee wasn't interested in picking anything out until I found something for myself.

I relented after a few minutes, realizing that I really never would find anything if I didn't look, but I had to redirect Gianna, since my mother's style was nothing like my own.

After explaining that I wanted a simple dress without too much detail and not at all poufy, I found myself in a dressing room surrounded by several gowns. Gianna was helping me into the first one, while my mother continued to scan the racks for more possibilities.

I stepped out of the dressing room and up onto the pedestal in front of the large mirrors, almost immediately scrunching my nose at my reflection. This dress definitely didn't do anything for me. Mom walked over with a gown hanging over her arm and made the same face I did when she looked at the dress.

"I'm glad you agree," I said, stepping down and heading back to the dressing room.

"Wait, take this one with you," Renee called out.

I turned to look at the dress in her hand and let out a small sigh. "Mom, that's really not my style. It's too busy."

With a roll of her eyes, she said, "Just try it on for me. Sometimes they look totally different when you put them on than they do on the hanger."

What's a little more torture, I figured, reaching out to take the gown. "Fine, I'll try it on after a few of the others." I turned on my heel and stomped back to the dressing room.

Six dresses later, and I was already exhausted. Those things weighed a ton, and I needed help getting in and out of each one. Yet, I was no closer to finding what I wanted. Mom had liked one of them, but it was strapless and I didn't feel comfortable. I was thankful to have Gianna on my side, insisting that I would end up being miserable if I didn't feel comfortable in the dress. There were two that I liked, but didn't _love_ so Gianna insisted that we keep looking.

The dressing room had finally emptied except for the dress that mom had picked, so I begrudgingly allowed Gianna to help me into it. Amazingly, she didn't even have the back buttoned up before I knew my search was over.

The dress fell perfectly over my body and elongated my short frame. The V-neck front gave way to one inch straps, all outlined in delicate silver beading. The dress was A-line with no waist and not much flare, and surprisingly, the beading on the bodice did not seem as busy as it had on the hanger. It was heavily beaded at the bust, but tapered off as it went down the bodice before picking back up in a mirror image from the edge of the gown and the short train.

As soon as Gianna finished with the buttons, she helped me into the low heels for the first time today. I slowly made my way out of the dressing room and headed straight for the pedestal. Renee was next to me in a flash.

"What do you think, baby?" she asked quietly.

When my eyes met hers in the mirror, I could see the unshed tears. I smiled widely at her before responding. "I think I love it."

Gianna returned to my other side with a comb in her hand that had a short veil attached. She quickly gathered the sides of my hair and pulled them back in the comb. "I think you need the full effect for this one." She winked at me.

I turned to my mom once more and found her smiling through her tears. "Well?"

"I think it's perfect, Bella."

Although I was sure this was the dress I was going to wear, I knew I wanted one more stamp of approval. I had my mom snap a picture of me on my cell phone, which I quickly sent to Alice. No words, just the picture.

It took a total of fifteen seconds for her response of "YES!" to come through.

We spent a while longer in the bridal department, having my measurements taken and arranging to have the dress shipped to a bridal shop in Seattle so I could have it properly fitted. Mom insisted on paying for my gown, for which I thanked her profusely.

After that, we made our way to the mother of the bride dresses and set out looking for something for my mom.

It didn't take long for Renee to scan the racks and find her perfect dress. It was a simple black dress with a neckline similar to my dress and silver beading which would match the rest of the wedding party nicely. Now that I'd found my dress, I had a good idea of which style of bridesmaid dresses we'd go with. And, I'd have to admit to Alice that I'm glad we waited.

Mom insisted on taking me out to lunch to celebrate, even though I was dog tired after all that shopping. I filled her in on some more wedding details while we ate, but it didn't take her long to want to discuss Edward again.

"That boy really has it bad for you, Bella." She was smiling at me while my cheeks turned pink. "I can see how happy he is to be with you."

"He's not the only one, mom." My mom was always more of a friend than a parental figure, so I shouldn't have felt embarrassed to talk to her about Edward. But there had never really been any other boys to talk about, so this was still new for us. "He makes me happier than I ever thought possible."

My mind drifted to the few occasions that we had had disagreements. Since we had agreed early on about open communication, I can't say we had ever really had a fight. We were more the "discuss and compromise" type.

Our biggest disagreement pre-engagement had been about money, and Edward brought it up again once we were engaged. Once we sat down and looked at our combined finances, we came to a new agreement. I'm still not sure why it was so important to Edward to pay rent, but I was willing to compromise and take over the utilities. It wasn't a fifty/fifty split, but we were both happy with the result which was all that mattered.

So, even with occasional disagreements, we made each other happy on a daily basis. Some nights, he would insist on cooking dinner, forcing me to relax in the bath with a book while I waited. And there were also times that I would spoil him rotten with his favorite meal and dessert. It never felt like a chore to do something like that for Edward.

Yet, even with all of this, and mom's recognition of it, I was still waiting for her to comment on how fast we were moving, especially given her history with my dad.

But she never did.

We finished our meal and then returned to the house where Edward and Phil were waiting for us.

Edward had already showered after their morning at the batting cages, and looked sexy in his tight T-shirt and cargo shorts, with his wet hair sticking up in its usual disarray.

"How did the shopping go?" he asked after greeting me with a kiss.

"Productive," I said, looking up at him with a smile while wrapped in his arms.

His eyebrows rose up his forehead as he regarded the expression on my face. "You found something?" he asked eagerly.

"Yep," I replied. "It will be shipped to Seattle in about two weeks, so that's one more thing crossed off the list before I can marry you." We'd already picked out our rings, the photographer, the menu for the reception, and the justice of the peace, so there wasn't much left to do. Alice has taken care of a lot of the details, so I was thankful that we'd be able to relax about things now.

"Any chance I'll get a sneak peek at this dress?" Edward asked quietly in my ear.

"No way, Mr. Cullen. You'll have to wait until I'm coming down the aisle to see it," I replied with a smirk.

After a short nap wrapped in my fiancé's arms, Phil insisted on taking us out to dinner. Being in the southwest, there was a Mexican restaurant on every street corner, but we had to drive about a half hour to get to mom and Phil's favorite place.

I couldn't complain about the drive though, because the food was delicious and the drinks and conversation were flowing. I may have had one too many margaritas with dinner, because Edward seemed surprised when my hand started moving up his thigh under the table.

He looked at me with a smoldering look that said "not now" but challenged me to keep going at the same time. I was so relaxed and happy that I couldn't help pressing my luck a little.

I quietly scooted my chair closer to his while we waited for dessert to arrive. My fingers continued their journey, circling around his inner thigh and squeezing occasionally. It wasn't until I made it to the crease of his hip that he grabbed my hand.

"Baby, just wait until I get you home," he said in a velvety, low voice. "Then we're gonna really celebrate."

Squirming in my seat, I downed my dessert quickly after that, with Edward chuckling at my enthusiasm next to me. Too bad that mom and Phil took their time and we still had to wait for them.

Phil finally paid the check and we headed back to the car. When mom decided that she wanted to take a stroll around an upscale outdoor shopping center, I politely asked her to drop Edward and me off at the house, insisting that I was too tired from our day of shopping.

She may have seen through my argument, but relented anyway.

Edward locked the door behind us and grabbed my hand, dragging me towards our room. "How long do you think we have?" he asked, wasting no time by stripping my shirt off of me and attaching his lips to my neck.

"Mmmm …" I hummed, trying to think through the fog. "At least an hour," I finally managed.

"Good," he said, moving his lips down my chest while he deftly unhooked my bra. "I plan to use every minute of it."

He was quickly working me into a frenzy with his teeth and tongue, so I returned the favor by removing his shirt and pushing him to sit on the bed. Straddling his lap, I pushed him back and attacked his chest with the same vigor. His hands wove through my hair, holding my head to his body and encouraging my actions.

I would never get enough of kissing his beautiful body. I frequently wondered if the intensity of our lust for each other would ever wane, but expected that the answer was no. There was just too much of a connection between us.

After worshipping his chest with my mouth, I slipped off his lap and onto the floor, opening the fly of his shorts as I went. There was no protest from Edward as I pulled his shorts and boxers from his body, tossing them to the side with the rest of our discarded clothing.

Before I could make my way back to my target, Edward was pulling me to stand and working to get my shorts off. With my assistance, our naked bodies were soon pressed together.

Not to be distracted, I pushed him back onto the bed and sunk down to my knees once more. "I want to taste you," I whispered. "Do you want my mouth on you, baby?" I knew he loved when I was vocal, and my eyes zeroed in on his twitching cock as I spoke.

"Fuck, yeah," he said as my eyes travelled back to meet his. I kept my gaze focused on him as I leaned forward and licked his tip, tasting the pre-cum and swirling my tongue in the slit. As he started moaning, I engulfed as much of his cock in my mouth as I could, earning a hip bucking from him and a gush of fluid between my own legs.

It always made me feel so powerful and turned on to elicit that kind of reaction from my beautiful man. I bobbed my head up and down a few times around his cock, feeling his fingers twist in my hair as he guided my movements. I moaned around him as I felt the wetness seep between my legs.

"Fuck," he whispered. "Does this turn you on, baby? Are you wet from sucking my cock?"

I looked up at him through my lashes and nodded my head while I continued sucking and tonguing his length.

"Get up here," he commanded gently. "I need to taste that sweet pussy."

He scooted back on the bed while I crawled up next to him. Before I knew it, he had grabbed my hips, turned me around, and positioned me over his mouth. "Mmmm … my favorite place to be," he said as he pressed down on my thighs and pushed me toward his mouth.

I sucked in a gasp as his hot tongue touched my clit. I would never get used to the things this man could do with his tongue.

After a moment of adjustment, I leaned forward and resumed my former activity, causing Edward to groan up against my center. I found that I could take him deeper from this angle, so I took full advantage of that, rolling his balls in my hand at the same time.

I sucked harder and harder, matching the intensity of his actions as my own pleasure built inside of me. Finally, Edward pulled his mouth away long enough to tell me that he wanted to be inside me when he came. I didn't waste any time before I crawled down his body, turned to face him, and impaled myself on his length.

We both moaned once he was fully inside of me, and he held my hips still while we absorbed the pleasure of that first contact.

Once I started moving, I knew this was not going to be slow love-making. I couldn't even control my body from moving hard and fast above him, and Edward had no objections.

My thighs started to burn from the quick movements, so I shifted my position. Moving my feet up near his arms, I leaned back and put my hands on either side of his knees to hold my weight. I was completely unprepared for just how good that position would feel, moaning loudly the first time I came fully down on his length as his tip rubbed that perfect spot inside of me.

It seemed that I wasn't the only one enjoying this position. "Oh god, baby … that is such a beautiful sight," he said as his thumb came up to rub my clit.

I looked up and realized that he had a completely unobstructed view of where we were joined, not to mention that by leaning back, I was pushing my tits out for him. I could feel the pleasure building quickly inside me.

"Shit, I'm not going to last long," he gritted through his teeth as he rubbed me harder and faster. "Watching my cock go in and out of you, soaked in your juices … it's driving me crazy."

As usual, his words threw me into an explosion. I came with a cry and a shudder, squeezing my eyes shut while white light danced in front of them. I felt Edward's hands at my hips, controlling my movements until he pulsed and twitched, stilling my hips while buried deep.

When we finally unraveled our bodies from each other, we quickly cleaned up in the bathroom before returning to bed. Edward had just wrapped his arms around me when we heard the front door open, signaling mom and Phil's return. We were both giggling quietly, thankful that they stayed out just long enough for us not to be overheard.

As soon as the door to their room closed, Edward's expression turned serious. "I love you, baby. I can't wait to marry you."

I gave him a chaste yet emotional kiss. "I love you, too. And I can't wait to marry you."

The final day of our mini-vacation was spent lounging by the pool at the neighborhood clubhouse. It was nice to have some time to relax and enjoy the sun before we had to return home.

Mom took us to the airport the following morning, doling out her massive hugs again, with promises to see us again in a few months for the wedding.

* * *

**A/N: True story about the dress… my sister/MOH picked out a dress that I didn't want to try on because it was too busy. She convinced me to try it on anyway. And it ended up being "the dress."**

**Don't forget to check out my Facebook author page—Kitchmill Fanfic—for teasers, pictures, story recommendations, etc. or my Twitter profile—at kitchmillfanfic.**

**And please review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Edited 5/2/13**

There was only one week left until I would get to call Bella my wife. One week. To say that I'd been anxious would be an understatement. I had no idea why, though. We already lived together, and since we both worked from home, we spent the majority of our time together. But, there was just something about making it official that I couldn't wait for.

We didn't plan to have kids right away. Neither of us was ready for that yet, although we know it's in our future. We both want a few kids at some point. I'd like to be a little more financially secure, although I won't let that stop us when the time feels right. We both have a decent amount of savings and my income is mostly reliable, but being an independent contractor is always risky.

As for Bella, I know she wanted to establish herself as an author. In addition to her editing job, she had been taking on a few freelance writing assignments lately and was hard at work on her novel. I've been so proud of her for taking the chance and doing something that she loves.

Also, we're both in our mid-twenties, so it's not like we won't have time. There's no rush. We wanted to spend more time as a couple before we bring little ones into the equation. Although, if it happened unexpectedly, I didn't think either of us would have a problem with that.

Emmett and Rose arrived in Seattle earlier today. They are staying for the week at the hotel where we'll be getting married. Tonight we'll be having a small bachelor and bachelorette party, which was the reason for their early visit. They'll be exploring the area for most of the week, but Rose had promised to help Bella and Alice with the last minute wedding details. I didn't even know what those were, but the girls seem to have it under control.

The tux rental has been taken care of and the honeymoon is booked, so my job is pretty much done. I know when and where to show up, and believe me, I'll be there.

Bella went off with the girls on some kind of shopping trip for tonight, which is why I was getting ready by myself at home. I had no idea what they needed to shop for, but as long as my girl is happy, then I am too. I spent the last few hours watching _Modern Family_ episodes on the DVR to pass the time, waiting for our night to begin.

When seven o'clock rolled around, I made my way out of the apartment to wait for the limo. That was one decision I agreed with, so no one would have to drive tonight. I saw it pull up and the back door opened before the driver could even get out.

I slipped inside and my fiancée handed me a glass of champagne before I could even get a look at her.

When I finally did, she took my breath away. She's always beautiful, but tonight she looked spectacular. She was wearing a plum wrap dress that hugged her curves and complimented her skin tone. Her hair was curly with the sides pulled out of her face, highlighting minimal but beautiful makeup. On her head sat a sparkling tiara, that I'm guessing the girls made her wear.

I had no idea what she'd look like for the wedding, but the one request I made was for her to look like herself. We had planned the wedding to be about what _we_ want, and I didn't want to be looking at some extremely made up version of the woman I love. Seeing her tonight just reinforced the fact that she can get dolled up without losing who she is.

"We've been waiting for you," Bella said as the limo door closed.

Without even seeing anyone else in the car, I wrapped my non-champagne-holding hand around her neck and pulled her face to me. "I've been waiting for you, too," I said quietly and then kissed her gently.

"All right, all right … there'll be enough time for that later," my brother shouted, breaking us from our moment. "We need a toast so we can get this party started!"

I held up my glass as the limo took off, with my arm still around my fiancée. "Ok, tonight I happily celebrate the last of my single days, and Bella's too," I smiled down at her, "with wonderful friends and family. Here's to the beginning of a wonderful new chapter in our lives."

Everyone offered up their cheers as we tapped our glasses together and sipped our champagne. Tonight was definitely not going to be about getting wasted. We all just wanted to celebrate and let loose a little. Since Jasper proposed to Alice a few weeks ago, and Rose and Emmett have finally moved in together, it seemed like we were all at a similar point in life where everything fell nicely into place. It's great to see everyone so happy.

Emmett tossed a baseball cap across the limo to me. I smiled as I pulled on the "Groom" cap, although I didn't know if I'd be able to wear it in the restaurant or night club that we're going to later. Maybe they'd humor us since it was a special occasion.

Our champagne glasses were empty by the time the limo pulled up at The Melting Pot, so we quickly piled out and into the restaurant. We were seated quickly and ordered a few bottles of wine before the waitress explained how everything worked.

It seemed like this restaurant was a perfect choice, because between six of us, we were able to order a little of everything and share it across the large table. Conversation was loud and boisterous while we all cooked and dipped our food. Everyone was groaning from eating so much by the time the waitress reminded us of dessert. No matter how full we were, no one could resist the melted chocolate with a variety of foods to dip in it.

I speared and dipped a strawberry, turning to Bella. "Open, baby."

Her eyes heated before her mouth dropped open, her tongue snaking out to catch the strawberry. "Mmmmm …" she moaned as she chewed the delicious fruit. I had to discreetly adjust myself because that sound always went straight to my cock.

Bella took note of my predicament and smirked. "Later," she whispered, and I planned to hold her to that. She put a piece of sponge cake on her fork and dipped it in the chocolate before offering it to me. I gratefully took it before licking my lips and winking at her.

When everyone had just about finished their dessert, Emmett not-so-accidentally knocked something on the floor. I knew what was coming, since he had taken the time to ask me if I minded. I just didn't expect him to be an idiot about it. I mean, really, he was usually a pretty smooth guy.

He jumped down onto the floor, presumably to pick up whatever he dropped, but instead he turned Rose's chair toward him and stayed perched down there.

"Emmett …" Rose started, but he interrupted her.

He had everyone's attention by that time, and I was glad he was a big guy so I could see him over the table. "Rose," he said taking her hand from her lap, "you know I have loved you since the first time I saw you. Somehow I knew that you were my perfect match, even back then. You not only put up with my shit, but you love me more for it. And every time you take care of me, or encourage me, or even put me in my place, I love you even more. I want to love you for the rest of my life. Marry me?"

I didn't know why Emmett thought this time would be any different than the other times he'd asked, but clearly he knew his woman. Rose was crying by the time he was done speaking, and I had _never_ seen her cry. She finally jumped out of her chair and joined him on the floor as she said "yes" and hugged him within an inch of his life.

We all cheered for them as Em put the ring on Rose's finger, and then we got up to offer our congratulations. The wait staff must have noticed the commotion, because our waitress brought over a tray with glasses of champagne for all of us.

Toasting to Emmett and Rose, we all downed our champagne while talking animatedly about what an evening we were having. After settling the bill, which our friends wouldn't let Bella and me touch, I called for the limo so we could make our way to the night club.

Once we were in the limo, Bella asked me if I had known about the proposal while everyone else was busy chattering away.

"I did. He asked me if I would mind, and I told him to go for it. I hope that doesn't bother you, since this night was supposed to be about us," I said, squeezing her tightly against me even though there was plenty of room in the limo.

"Oh, no! I thought it was perfect. I was actually glad that he did it with all of us there to share in the occasion."

"Yeah, I think that's why he chose tonight. For some reason, I think he thought he had a better chance of her saying yes if they were among friends and family. Or, maybe he just knows Rose, and knew she was finally ready. Either way, I'm really happy for them."

"Me, too," Bella agreed.

I couldn't resist kissing her then. It was difficult to keep the kiss from getting heated once I had a taste of chocolate and champagne, mixed with Bella's natural flavor. Bella seemed to be enjoying it as well, until Jasper broke us apart.

"Come on, guys! Can't you keep the x-rated version under wraps for now?"

I shot him an evil eye before saying, "I'll kiss my woman good and proper any time I want," and then returning my lips to Bella's. We ignored the catcalls and whistles as our tongues explored each others' mouths.

Since we were going to the night club in the hotel where we were having the wedding, the ride was fairly short. Jasper had reserved a table for us, so we could have plenty of drinks but still get up and dance.

Dance music was thumping from the speakers of the dimly lit club. It was not our usual scene, but with the amount of alcohol we had already imbibed, plus more to come, I knew we'd all have a good time.

We were promptly greeted by a waitress wearing black hot pants and a too-tight tank top with the club name scribed across her chest. Glancing around, I noticed that this was the standard attire. Way too tacky, if you ask me.

As soon as our orders were placed, Alice grabbed the girls and pulled them onto the dance floor. Jasper, Emmett and I took the chance to hang back and watch as the girls found a spot not too far from our table and started shaking their hot bodies.

It sometimes surprised me that my usually quiet Bella could move the way she could on the dance floor. When we first met, she swore she couldn't dance, but I begged to differ. Watching her tonight, I was sure I was going to have to beat a few fuckers off of her. Glancing around the room, I could see quite a few eyes locked on our girls.

Bella looked sexy as hell in her tight dress and tiara, shaking her hips and putting her hands over her head. The sleek, black heels on her feet made her legs look a mile long. I took a few swigs of my beer before giving up and meeting my girl on the dance floor, unable to resist having my hands on her sweet body any longer.

I slipped my hands around her waist and pulled myself as close to her back as I could. Her hair was swept over one shoulder, so I took advantage and leaned in close to her ear. "Baby, you look incredible out here," I whispered before dragging my tongue below her ear and ending with a kiss.

I could feel the vibrations of her hum as she grabbed hold of my arms and pushed her ass further into my groin. Leaning her head back on my shoulder, she turned to face me slightly. "Baby, you _feel_ incredible … right _here_," she said, grinding her ass a few times so I would get the point.

My cock definitely took notice of her actions and I hissed through my teeth. "If you're not careful, we're going to get kicked out of the club for indecent exposure," I warned.

Bella laughed and then went on with her dancing. I spun her around and put my knee between her legs as we started moving to the beat of the music. My hands had a mind of their own as they grabbed her backside, skimmed the sides of her breasts, tangled in her hair. I knew we were bordering on indecent, but so were Jasper and Emmett by that point so I gave up caring.

It didn't seem like Bella minded either, as she tangled her fingers in the back of my hair and kissed and licked her way up my neck. I think I growled a little in the back of my throat before I grabbed her and pulled her back to the booth with me for a little more privacy.

She laughed as we sat down and sipped her drink, probably needing to cool off as much as I did. I always wanted Bella, but tonight she was making things especially _hard_ for me. I pulled her so close that she was practically sitting on my lap before taking her drink from her and putting it on the table. My fingers rubbed the back of her head, the other hand squeezing her hip, as I kissed her with hungry desire and we started making out like horny teenagers.

When I finally pulled back from our heated kiss, Bella looked as flustered as I felt. "How long are we required to stay at our own party?" I asked. "Because right now, I'm about to lose control and fuck you in this booth."

I saw and felt her shiver at my words, and I could tell she was worked up, too. "Come on," she said, pushing me out of the booth.

"Where are we going?"

"I don't know, but we need to get out of here." I loved sexy, confident Bella.

Not one to argue, I took her hand as we got up from the booth and pulled her toward what looked like a side entrance of the club. Since we were in a hotel, I figured the other entrance must lead to the lobby or somewhere within the hotel. Making a quick decision, I led her out of the club in what appeared to be the opposite direction from the lobby.

Even though it was late at night, the hallway was well lit but thankfully empty. Glancing down the hall, I saw several doors but had no idea what was inside any of them. Keeping hold of Bella's hand, we made our way down to a door that was partially open. I peeked inside using the light from the hallway to see what looked like a small conference room with a table and chairs in the center and a credenza pushed up against the far wall.

I pushed Bella inside and double checked that no one else was in the hallway before I closed and locked the door behind us. The room was almost completely dark once the door was closed, but my eyes were still accustomed to the dark night club and I was able to see what I needed.

I cradled Bella's face in my hands as I kissed her deeply, inhaling her scent into my body like a drug. Mumbling against her lips, I told her how much I wanted her and loved her and needed her between kisses.

Bella moaned and pressed her body up against me, but it wasn't as close as we had been on the dance floor. I grabbed her thigh and lifted it, pulling myself as close as possible to her heat. She hiked up her dress and ground into me, causing my nearly painful erection to throb and a groan to escape my chest.

With one hand on her ass to hold her against me, and the other reaching into her dress to knead her breast, I licked and bit at her collar bone. Her fingers had found a way under my shirt and were scratching at my back while our lower halves continued to grind against each other.

"I want you," she whispered. "Take me … here, now."

"I doubt I could stop if I wanted to," I said as I walked her backwards toward the credenza I had seen, lips still attached to body parts and hands in a frenzy.

When we finally hit the furniture, I snaked my hands down her thighs and back up under her dress to find her naked butt cheeks. "Fuck, what are you wearing?" I felt around and found the edges of her panties, which were clearly a thong. Not that I didn't love the usual cheekies that she typically wore, but this I had to see.

"It was a gift from Alice and Rose. I'm thinking the gift was meant for you," she said breathlessly.

"Turn around," I commanded her. "I need to see this gift."

She did as I said, turning to face the credenza. I ran my hands down from her shoulders to her wrists, gently placing her hands in front of her on the desk before pulling her hips toward me so she was leaning over. Once again, I ran my hands down her thighs, only this time I brought her dress up with me as I went, leaving it bunched around her hips.

I inhaled sharply as I took in the sight before me. Her perfect ass was completely on display, framed beautifully by the dark, lace thong. I rubbed my hands over her backside several times before kneading her cheeks and pulling them apart a bit. My cock was ready to bust out of my pants.

"God, baby," I gritted out. "Do you have any idea how incredibly sexy you are?" She wiggled her hips in response and I groaned at the sight. I continued to rub her ass and slipped my fingers down to her slit. Her body bucked as I found that the lace and the surrounding area were completely soaked.

She gasped as I pushed the material aside and ran my fingers directly over her lower lips and clit, teasing just a bit before returning my attention back to her ass cheek. "So wet for me, baby. Do you want me to fuck you just like this?"

"Please, Edward," she begged in a quiet moan.

I slipped my fingers inside the edges of her lace panties and slowly lowered them to the floor, helping her step out of them before stuffing them in my pocket. Spreading her feet a bit, I ran my hands back up the length of her legs, enjoying the view and the feel of her soft skin.

As soon as I was standing again, I released my belt and fly, lowering my pants and boxers to free my aching cock and lifting my shirt out of the way. My hands couldn't resist rubbing her ass cheeks again, and I quickly pushed my thumb into her dripping center and swirled it around.

Bella whimpered and that was about all I could take. Grabbing my cock in my hand, I rubbed the length through her wet folds for a moment until we both could take no more of the teasing. Like a compass finding its true north, my dick went straight to her entrance and I slammed into her heat, stilling inside so I wouldn't blow my load in thirty seconds.

"Fuck," I gritted out, while Bella moaned again. "You're so fucking perfect, Bella." I pulled out quickly and slammed back in, stilling again when I was balls deep in her pussy. I would never get enough of her. The feeling was so good.

"Stop teasing and fuck me," she commanded, pushing her hips back at me. What a beautiful sight that was.

I started moving in and out of her at a steady pace, trying to control myself so I could get her off before I did. Grabbing her ass some more, my thumb, still soaking wet from her juices, began rubbing small circles around her back entrance. I had never done anything like that before and had no idea how she would feel about it, but her increased moans told me she was enjoying it.

Taking a chance, I increased the pressure of my thumb while I continued circling it and pistoning my cock in and out of her. "Is this ok?" I asked. I had to be sure.

"Yes," she whispered.

Her hips were now meeting mine thrust for thrust. Watching the sight of my cock disappear inside of her was quickly driving me over the edge of sanity. Without even realizing it, the tip of my thumb slipped inside of her.

She gasped and then moaned, pushing her hips back against me even harder. Her muscles clenched for a moment at the intrusion, but then just as quickly relaxed around me.

"Are you ok? Tell me to stop and I will."

"No," she paused. "I … it feels good."

I could tell she was embarrassed to admit that, but since she did, I pressed on … literally. Before I knew it, half of my thumb was buried in her and she was emitting a long, low moan.

I was barely hanging on by a thread, having the perfect view of her sweet ass and pussy, so I reached my other hand around to rub her clit with two fingers. It took about four seconds of that before she was exploding. One thrust later and I started coming, pushing in and out a few more times before my seemingly never ending orgasm finally subsided.

Out of breath and completely drained, I collapsed on top of her, supporting my weight on the credenza with my hands next to hers.

"Damn … that was …"

"Yeah," she agreed, laughing and causing a stir where we were still joined.

Groaning from the sensation, I pushed her hair over her shoulder and kissed her neck before slipping out of her. We both hissed at the loss of our connection.

Bella started to get up as I looked around the room, spotting a box of tissues in the corner of the desk. I grabbed the box and brought it over and we both cleaned up and righted our clothes as best we could.

I noticed Bella looking around on the ground, presumably for her underwear, so I pulled them from my pocket and swung them from my fingertip.

"Looking for these?" I asked sarcastically.

She smiled at me and then reached for them, but I swiped my hand away swiftly. "I don't know, baby. Weren't they a present for me?"

I could see the evil glint in her eye before she responded. "That's fine, babe. But, if you don't give them back, I can't wear them for you again." She smirked, knowing I would give in. "Also, I can't be held responsible for what anyone else might see when I go back out on the dance floor."

Growling erupted in my chest at the thought of anyone else seeing my girl's goods. I grabbed her around the waist and picked her up, planting a hard kiss on her lips. "Mine."

"Yours," she agreed sweetly when I put her back down. She held her hand out and made a "give me" gesture with her fingers, so I reluctantly handed her back her panties.

When we both looked reasonably presentable, we quietly snuck back into the bright hallway. A little further down we found restrooms, so we both slipped inside to clean up some more. I washed my hands and tried to tame my hair, but there was no use in that.

I waited in the hallway until Bella appeared from the ladies room. When she exited, I noticed her swollen lips and flushed cheeks, more evidence of our recent encounter. I smiled brightly at her, not caring who knew that we had just been together.

"I love you," I said as I pulled her close and kissed her lightly.

She smiled back at me. "I love you, too."

We walked back to the club entrance with our arms around each other and made it back in without our friends noticing. I led Bella right back to the dance floor and we picked up where we had left off. She threw her arms around my neck and my hands went to her slim waist, where I held her close and moved to the beat.

After a few minutes, she leaned in to me and spoke directly in my ear. "I guess we can both cross 'public sex' off the list now."

When she backed up to look at me, I just smirked at her. "If it's all the same to you, sweetheart, I think I'd like to keep that _on_ the list, so we can do it again," _kiss_ "and again," _kiss_ "and again."

* * *

**A/N: Anyone care to share your best public sex story? Maybe you can help inspire another E&B sexcapade!**

**Don't forget to come find me on Facebook (Kitchmill Fanfic) or Twitter (at kitchmillfanfic) where I post teasers, story favorites, etc.**

**And, don't forget to review! I really love hearing from you.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: This is the end, my friends. Just an epi left after this. On the bright side, this chapter is more lemon than anything else!**

**Edited 5/2/13**

"Yes … right there!" I yelled as my husband pounded into me. "Don't stop, don't stop, don't stop."

"Not stopping, baby," Edward gritted out as his hands tightened on my hips and he pulled my body toward him even harder, impaling me, before pushing me away only to do it again and again.

My legs were thrown over his shoulders while my body rested sideways on the hammock. We were both naked and overheating from the sun and our activities, with only the trees that the hammock was attached to providing a minimal amount of shade. My body was going to have marks from the cross grain of the hammock for hours to come, but I couldn't find it in me to care. Besides, no one but my gorgeous husband would see me on this private island.

"Fuck," he ground out. I watched the tendons in his neck strain and realized he wasn't going to last much longer. My hand snaked down my body to my clit and his jaw flexed from clenching his teeth.

The movement of the hammock combined with the rubbing of my fingers was going to quickly push me over the edge. I wondered briefly if this was what it was like to use a sex swing, and if so, could we get one for the apartment?

I rubbed harder and faster, as his cock hit my g-spot with every thrust, until spots flooded my vision and I had to close my eyes against the pleasure coursing through me.

Edward cursed again and sped up until I felt him pulsing inside of me, letting out a strangled moan before collapsing on top of me with his feet still on the ground.

He kissed my neck a few times when his breathing slowed down and then wrapped his arms around my spent body. "Thanks for marrying me, Mrs. Cullen," he mumbled.

"The pleasure was _all_ mine." I chuckled a bit at his use of my new surname. It seemed like he couldn't get enough of calling me that. Not that I minded. It was just another reminder of the fact that we were tied to each other completely now. I glanced down at my left hand to admire my wedding ring, which was nestled next to my engagement ring.

Eventually, he righted me in the hammock and climbed in with me, and we spent the rest of the morning lying naked in the sun. My mind drifted back to three days prior, a day I would never forget, the day I became Mrs. Edward Cullen.

**OLN**

The knock on the door to the bridal suite came at the perfect time, breaking us girls up before we could really get into the tears. Alice answered the door and ushered back a nervous looking Charlie, looking so handsome in his tuxedo. Everyone scattered to do last minute things before heading out to take their places.

Esme was the first to hug me, telling me she was so happy Edward and I had found each other and that I would be part of the family. She showed me an off-white handkerchief and told me she carried it on her wedding day, before she picked up my bouquet and tucked it into the ribbons holding the flowers together.

"Thank you, Esme." I had to hold back the tears once again. I loved Edward's family just as much as my own. She gave me one last hug before stepping toward the door, where she waited for Renee so they could be escorted in to the ceremony together. The two of them had become thick as thieves in the last few days.

"I love you so much, baby," Mom said as she approached. "I'm so happy for you, and I know you and Edward will have a great life together."

"Renee, don't make her mess up her makeup!" Alice chimed in, seeing the tears already forming in my eyes.

"Ugh, okay! I'm going." She gave me a tight hug before turning to leave, stopping to hug Charlie on the way. They may not be married anymore, but it was nice to see they still got along.

Alice and Rose each gave me a kiss on the cheek, telling me they'd see me at the end of the aisle before following my mom and Renee out of the room.

When it was just Charlie and me, I noticed he had something in his hand. He and mom had already given me Grandma's sapphire hair combs last night, which were now tucked neatly into the sides of my hair.

He offered the box to me and said, "Edward wanted me to give this to you."

With shaky hands, I took the box from him and lifted the lid to find a new journal. The cover was engraved with "Bella Cullen" and our wedding date. I opened the book to find Edward's elegant handwriting filling the inside cover.

_To my beautiful wife,_

_It feels like I've been looking for you forever, yet at the same time, I feel that we've always known each other. Either way, I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you, sharing memories and making new ones._

_I saw this journal and realized it was the perfect place to start writing down our memories as husband and wife. As the writer of this pair, I hope you will do the honor of keeping our memoir._

_I'll be waiting for you at the end of the aisle._

_Yours always,  
__Edward_

I took a deep breath to stave off the tears that were blurring my vision. My almost-husband was such a romantic at heart.

Closing the journal, I put the lid back on the box and looked up at my dad.

"You look beautiful, Bells. I'm really glad you have Edward, but don't ever forget I'll always be here for you, too."

"I won't, Dad." I sniffled a bit before composing myself again and giving Charlie a hug.

"I think they're waiting for you out there. Can I escort you to your future?" he asked, holding out his arm for me.

"Yeah," I sighed. "I'm ready."

**OLN**

The shower was tiled on three sides, with a glass door on the fourth side. As I soaked under the hot spray from the multiple water heads, I could clearly see my husband standing at the sink shaving. Even though we had been together almost every single day for the last nine months, sometimes I still had a hard time believing he was mine.

I watched as he gracefully ran the razor over his stretched neck, and my body reacted to thoughts of my tongue running over that same skin. I tried to concentrate on washing my hair so we could go to dinner, but who could turn away from such a beautiful specimen?

"See something you like, Mrs. Cullen?" He smirked at me in the mirror, his towel draped low on his hips.

"Always, Mr. Cullen." I turned around to finish rinsing my hair so I wouldn't get caught ogling him again.

I hurried through the rest of my shower, knowing we were both excited to go to the mainland tonight for dinner. We've been on this private island for seven days, and while it's been wonderful, we were looking forward to a meal out tonight for Edward's birthday.

The island was rented from one of Carlisle's colleagues. I can't even imagine what it costs to rent a private island for two weeks, but this was Carlisle and Esme's wedding gift to us. We've been enjoying every minute of our time here and exploring every inch of the island.

The house was built so well into the landscape that it looked like it grew here. The entire front of the house was made of glass, and it opened directly onto the beach. We'd made full use of the indoor/outdoor living arrangement, sleeping on the beach almost as much as we'd slept in the bed.

When I emerged from the steam filled bathroom, Edward was already dressed, lounging on the bed reading a book while he waited for me. Seeing him in his dark suit took me back to how he looked waiting at the end of the aisle for me.

**OLN**

I took a deep breath as my dad and I stopped in front of the closed door. I fingered the handkerchief in my bouquet, thankful once again that I was joining such a wonderful family.

The doors opened just as _Trumpet Voluntary_ began, and the guests stood as Charlie and I entered the room.

I looked straight ahead and saw my future laid out for me, in the form of a gorgeous man in a black tuxedo, his reddish brown hair no more tamed today than any other day. His eyes were red rimmed, yet his smile was a mile wide. I felt my cheeks lift in response as I began walking toward him. Every day, I was still amazed he looked at me like that, like I was the prize, instead of him.

The ceremony was somewhat of a blur as I focused intently on Edward. I remembered Charlie placing my hand in Edward's, and Edward telling me how beautiful I was. I remembered the look on Edward's face when he said his vows and how he took in every word that I said to him. I remembered his smile as he placed the ring on my finger, and the joy I felt when I put his on him.

I remembered our first kiss as husband and wife, and how I could feel it right down to my toes before Emmett gave us a little push to usher us down the aisle. I remembered the officiant telling our guests that the world would be a happier place if every husband kissed his wife like that, as we were making our way out of the ceremony.

I remembered the feeling of elation as Edward swept me into his arms in the bridal suite, and we laughed and kissed some more.

"I love you, Mrs. Cullen," he said to me. "You've just made me the happiest man alive."

**OLN**

Clearly, I was also the happiest woman alive, as I couldn't wipe the smile off my face if I tried.

"Happy birthday, baby," I told Edward again, after the waiter took our order. We tapped our wine glasses together and took a sip.

"Thanks," he said, cupping my cheek and kissing me chastely. "I couldn't wish for anything better than celebrating with you."

"What?" I asked, feigning appalled. "Your wake-up blow job wasn't a good celebration?"

He laughed loudly. "Believe me, that was a wonderful celebration, but wouldn't have been possible if I hadn't been with you, huh?"

"Good point," I conceded. "We'll have to see if we can top that when we get back to the island," I said with a smirk.

"What do you have in mind, oh, wife of mine?"

"Well, it _is_ your birthday, so if you make a wish, I just might try to grant it."

"Have I told you lately that I love you?"

"Not in the last hour," I retorted with a smirk.

"Well then, let me rectify that." He proceeded to kiss me and tell me he loved me over and over again, just like on our wedding night.

**OLN**

The reception had been wonderful; dancing with my new husband, drinking, greeting our guests. Edward was good about not shoving cake in my face, and Alice made me cry with her speech. Mom seemed a little drunk, but thankfully Phil was there to keep her in line.

But, the part that would stay in my mind forever was when it was finally just Edward and me, alone in our hotel suite.

When we reached the door to our suite, Edward unlocked it and quickly scooped me up in his arms. "What are you doing?" I protested.

"Carrying you over the threshold, of course. I'm nothing if not traditional," he said with a wink.

We entered the room to find candles burning and a trail of rose petals leading from the sitting room into the bedroom. I had no idea how he had accomplished this. My new husband was full of surprises.

He carried me until we reached the bedroom then slowly placed me on my feet.

Cupping my cheek, he looked deep into my eyes. I was sure, just as I was the first time I met him, he could see straight through to my soul. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," he told me quietly. "Thank you for marrying me."

Thankfully, he didn't expect me to form words as he kissed me deeply. The passion from his kiss touched every part of my body, leaving me feeling like a puddle of goo in his arms.

As I recovered my senses a bit, I slipped my hands inside his jacket and pushed it off his shoulders. "As handsome as you look in this tuxedo, I'd rather see it on the floor."

"Your wish is my command, baby." He chuckled as he began to undress. I took a seat on the bed to watch my sexy husband reveal himself to me piece by piece. Cufflinks came off, buttons undone, pants unzipped and tossed behind him, until he was left in my favorite suit—his birthday suit.

I reached up to take the combs out of my hair when he came over and stilled my hands. "Please, let me," he pleaded. I nodded my head and he began to work.

He let my hair down and ran his fingers through it before thanking me for leaving it natural. "How you looked when you were coming down the aisle to me, baby … you have no idea. So perfect." He kissed my neck. "So beautiful." He kissed my shoulder. "So _you_." He kissed my lips.

Pulling me to my feet, he turned me around and swept my hair over one shoulder. Opening the buttons of the strap around my neck, he kissed his way across my back from one shoulder to the other. I held the front of the dress up while he worked his way down the buttons on my back, wanting him to have the full effect when my dress was lowered.

I heard his sharp intake of air as he revealed the back of the corset I was wearing under my dress. He groaned a bit as I felt his hands speed up on the tiny buttons. When he was finished, he rubbed his hands from the tops of my shoulders down the lace of the corset, ending with his hands on my hips inside the dress.

I turned to face him slowly, still holding the dress in place. When his eyes met mine, I dropped the dress and let it pool at my feet. He reached for my hand and helped me step out of it, quickly picking it up and throwing it over the nearby chair.

His eyes raked over me from my loose hair down to my heel-clad toes, taking in the tight, white corset, lace thong and thigh high stockings along the way. I watched his cock twitch in appreciation.

"I can't believe you're mine," he said, pulling me close.

"And, I can't believe that you're mine." I smiled up at him, taking in his hungry gaze.

He kissed me deeply, running his fingers through my hair as I wound my arms around his neck to pull him closer. He let out a hiss as his cock brushed against my corset-covered stomach, so I reached between us and wrapped my hand around it.

A groan of appreciation left his mouth. I squeezed him tighter and began pumping my hand slowly up and down his shaft. Grabbing my ass in both hands, he lifted me up and turned toward the bed, taking the few steps to reach it and carefully laying me down.

"As much as I love this," he said, fingering the lace of the corset, "I think it needs to go."

He rolled me gently onto my side and began working to untie the lacing up my back, kissing down my spine as he went. Once I was free of the garment, I turned back to face him.

"This, too." His fingers dipped into the waist of my underwear before he slid them slowly down my legs, worshipping my body with his mouth as he went.

I started to kick my heels off when he got to my feet, but he stilled me with his hand and a look. My smile let him know that I was fine with leaving the rest on. Anything to make my husband happy.

"You are so fucking sexy," he told me as he ran his hands up my legs, pushing my bent knees toward the bed.

He sat between my parted thighs and dipped his head down to suck on the skin in the crease of my hip. Ever so slowly, he licked and sucked his way across my body to the other side, avoiding where he knew I needed him the most.

I whimpered at the lack of contact. "Don't worry, I'm going to take good care of you, baby," he whispered against my skin.

His mouth descended on me quicker than I was able to register, and I was a writhing mess beneath him in no time at all. Two fingers pumped inside of me while his tongue worked my clit over. "I want to feel you cum on my tongue," he growled against me.

I cried out when his tongue entered me and his teeth scraped my clit. My hands anchored his head to me while I forced my lower body further onto his face. He let out a strangled moan, and the vibrations did me in. I shattered hard around his tongue while he continued to lap at me slowly.

When I finally regained my senses, he was laying behind me, both of us on our sides. His hands caressed my body and his lips teased my shoulder.

"Now, I want to make love to you, Mrs. Cullen."

"Yes, _please_, Edward," I begged.

His hand skimmed over my breast and down my abdomen, gently grazing where I was still sensitive and causing me to jump. He chuckled lightly as his hand continued to my thigh, lifting it up and forward onto a pillow I hadn't noticed before.

I felt his entire body touching mine from behind, from his shoulders to his toes. Although I couldn't see him, this position felt incredibly intimate with every part of us connected.

He slowly pushed inside me and I sighed at the fulfillment it brought. His arm wrapped around my midsection, bent so his hand rested in the middle of my chest. I placed my hand over his and he spread his fingers, lacing them with mine and holding me tightly.

"I love you," he whispered in my ear, resting his head on the side of mine.

I choked back tears at the love I felt for him before I was able to respond. "I love you, too," I said quietly.

We moved together slowly, for what felt like an eternity, before we came as one, crying out our love and devotion to each other.

**OLN**

We returned to the island after sharing a delicious dinner and spending some time wandering the tourist shops. I stopped to take off my shoes in the soft, pink sand after we exited the water taxi, and as soon as I stood up, Edward scooped me up and threw me over his shoulder. He carried me—caveman style—while I laughed and pounded on his back, demanding that he put me down.

He didn't put me down until we were in the bedroom, where he proceeded to toss me on the king size, four poster bed. When I looked up at him, he had a feral look in his eyes.

"So, about that birthday wish …" he started. "I brought some things I thought we could try."

I bit my lip nervously as he turned to the dresser and started rummaging through a drawer. I had no idea what he had in mind.

"Are you up for a little adventure, baby?" He turned towards me with his hands behind his back as he wiggled his eyebrows at me.

I took a deep breath before nodding my head. I trusted him fully and knew he would never do anything to hurt me.

Keeping his hands behind his back, he leaned onto the dresser and asked me to get undressed for him. Having long ago lost my shyness around Edward, I stood in front of the bed and did as he asked, slowly unzipping my strapless dress and letting it fall to the floor.

I watched Edward's eyes darken as he observed my every move. My hands moved behind my back to unclasp my bra, tossing it at him once it was free. Knowing how much he loved my ass in a thong, I turned around so he could get a good view before bending over to remove my underwear. He hissed as I stood in front of him, bent at the waist. When I turned back to face him, I licked my lips as he adjusted the prominent erection trying to poke through his dress pants.

He walked towards me with something black in his hand. It wasn't until he was right in front of me and lifting it over my head did I realize it was a blindfold.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, looking deep into my eyes.

I nodded and smiled, so he slipped the blindfold over my head and secured it before guiding me back to the bed.

He laid me down and began caressing my body with varying degrees of pressure. I could feel my excitement growing just from his erotic touch on my skin and the suspense of not knowing where he would touch next.

His gentle voice startled me in the quiet room. "Put your hands above your head, baby."

I did as requested and bit my lip, wondering what he had planned. Something smooth and silky wrapped around my right wrist. Edward startled me by speaking quietly right into my ear. "Is that too tight?" I shook my head, allowing him to continue. "If you're uncomfortable or want me to stop, just tell me and I'll stop right away."

"Okay," I responded breathlessly, with excitement building in the pit of my stomach. "But, I thought tonight was supposed to be about your pleasure."

"Believe me, sweetheart," he chuckled lowly. "This is _extremely_ pleasurable for me." By that time, he had my other wrist tied, and both were secured to what I assumed was the bedpost. I pulled gently to confirm I wasn't able to go anywhere.

He must have stepped away from me because I felt a sudden chill of air moving around and the loss of his hands making contact with my body. "Seeing you naked and spread out before me, at my mercy … this will definitely be pleasurable for me."

I chewed on my lip nervously, not knowing where he went or what to expect. The room was dead silent for a few minutes. My anticipation was building, and I was about to call out for him when I felt a fingertip graze my body between my breasts. That little bit of contact sent a gush of fluid between my legs.

But, the next contact caused me to hiss in shock. What I imagined was an ice cube traced the same path Edward's finger had just taken. The cold was quickly followed by heat, as his tongue lapped over the water left behind by the ice. I whimpered in need.

Edward's mouth descended on my left breast at the same time the ice touched between my legs, causing my whole body to jerk in reaction. Only a moment later, the process was switched. Ice was on my breast, causing my nipple to harden beyond anything I had experienced before, while his tongue traced over the swollen, needy flesh at my core.

"Ah!" I cried out when he sucked my clit into his mouth, but just as quickly, his mouth was gone. My lower half was moving on its own, searching out his mouth for the friction I needed.

"Patience, baby," he said near my ear again. How did he do that? He was as stealthy as a vampire. I felt his body up against mine and realized he had shed his clothes at some point.

His hands trailed light paths of fire up and down my skin, stopping to circle a nipple with his finger before moving on and exploring elsewhere. It felt like he had a million hands, the way they were everywhere at once.

I gasped when I felt his lips on mine, kissing me gently before his tongue delved deeply into my mouth. I kissed him back with everything I had before his mouth disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Another whimper escaped my throat.

"Keep your mouth open," he commanded quietly.

I felt the bed dip on either side of my extended arms before something touched my bottom lip. My mouth instinctively opened wider as I realized he was offering his cock to me. I gladly accepted it, having always loved the power of being able to make him feel good with my mouth.

My tongue snaked around the head, licking the pre-cum from the tip before I closed my lips around it and hummed. He pushed inside slightly and then withdrew, repeating the action a few times and going deeper on each thrust.

He pulled out all the way and asked, "Is this okay?"

"Yes," I answered breathily, opening my mouth again for him. I loved when he took control, took what he wanted from me.

With his erection back in my mouth, I hummed, licked and sucked while he pumped in and out of me. I could hear his labored breathing as he cursed and told me how beautiful I was.

Suddenly, my mouth was empty and the bed shifted again. I whimpered at the loss, but moaned as I felt his lips touch my sex. Being blindfolded was really doing a number on my senses. Everything was more intense when I didn't know what to expect next. And, not being able to use my hands was driving me insane!

My moans grew louder as Edward's tongue rolled around my throbbing flesh and his fingers pinched and pulled at my nipples. The pressure was building and I was getting close to falling over the edge into orgasm, when everything stopped all at once.

I let out another cry of displeasure and heard Edward chuckling. He kissed me then, his body hovering over mine, and I groaned as I tasted myself on his lips and tongue.

"Not yet, baby," he whispered. "Tonight, we cum together."

"Oh, god!" I screamed, as he filled me in one quick thrust.

I didn't have much control over my movements in this position, but I did my best to meet him and squeeze my inner muscles.

He growled at the feeling and then bit down on my nipple, thrusting hard and fast. I bucked more forcefully against him, screaming out my pleasure. The intensity was building fast and I knew my orgasm was coming soon.

"Close …" I whispered.

"That's right, baby. Let go for me."

With a swivel of his hips, I did just that. The euphoria washed over me in waves and Edward yelled out as his ribbons of pleasure filled me. It seemed to go on and on, well after his hips stilled and he collapsed on top of me.

He lifted the blindfold off my head and I squinted against the intrusion of light, quickly closing my eyes again when he kissed me hard and deep.

"God, I love you," he said when he finally came up for air.

"I love you, too, baby, but next time, I'm tying _you_ up."

"It will be my pleasure," he smirked as he reached out to unleash my wrists.

As soon as I was free, my hands were on his back, holding him to me tightly. I never wanted to let him go.

I thought back to my birthday, not so many months ago, and the feeling I had that evening. It was amazing to me how I went from utter despair over my lonely life, to finding my other half in only a few hours. I still couldn't believe one lonely night could lead to complete fulfillment and a lifetime of happiness.

I knew we'd have our ups and downs in life, but as long as I had Edward by my side, we'd get through it all—together.

* * *

**A/N: And… that's a wrap! I do plan on a short epi, but I don't want to drag this out too much. It started as an 8k one shot, just to work on my writing skills. I've had tons of fun along the way. Thank you to each and every one of you who took the time to read my words.**

**Please leave me a review. It would really make me happy!**

**Come find me on Facebook (Kitchmill Fanfic) or Twitter (at kitchmillfanfic).**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Edited 5/2/13**

My phone vibrated with a text message.

"_**Just touched down."**_

I tapped out a response quickly, keeping one eye on the precious cargo.

"_**Already in baggage claim. Hurry."**_

"_**I'll be the first one off as soon as the door opens. xoxo"**_

Her response had me grinning from ear to ear. I knew she was as excited for our reunion as I was.

Bella had been gone for a month on her latest book tour. It had been hard on all of us, but we knew it was a necessary evil since she became an author. Her second book was already doing better than the first, due in part to talk of a movie being made out of the first book.

During some of the late night phone calls we shared while she was gone this past month, we had discussed the possibility of me giving up my business so I could travel with her next time. I could always just refuse contracts when the time came up, but the truth was her books were bringing in enough money so I didn't really need to work.

I didn't mind giving it up, having only held on this long as a safety net. With the inheritance I received when Grandpa Platt died two years ago, we could both afford to stay home. But, neither of us could imagine doing nothing, and instead we invested that money as security for the future.

Speaking of, I glanced back down at our future, ensuring the monsters hadn't gone anywhere.

"You guys ready to see mommy?"

That earned me a frown from our three-year-old, and a bunch of bouncing from our one-year-old at the word "mommy."

"Daaaddy," Alexis whined. "You _know_ I'm not a 'guy.'" I got air quotes and everything when she said "guy." Such a smarty-pants our baby girl was turning out to be.

"Sorry, princess." I stooped to kiss the top of her long, wavy hair. "You're right. I definitely know that you're not a guy." I chuckled internally as I surveyed the frilly, purple dress, white stockings and black dress shoes that she picked out by herself. We never could figure out where she got her fashion sense from, since Bella didn't have a girly bone in her body. Somehow, I thought it was all Aunt Alice's doing, even though Alexis had been displaying these tendencies since long before any influence could be blamed.

Nowadays, Aunt Alice took every opportunity to shop with her all too willing Goddaughter. We were going to have to teach Alexis how to spend responsibly much sooner than I would have liked.

Jackson, on the other hand, was as easy-going as can be. He had been a good sleeper since he emerged from the womb fourteen months ago, and rarely cried. His big sister was his idol. He followed Alexis around everywhere, and even let her play dress-up with him.

He was a momma's boy, though, and couldn't wait to see her again—not so unlike his daddy. I had only seen Bella for a quick weekend since she'd left, when Alice and Jasper had watched the kids along with their two. I was missing my wife something fierce.

I smiled at Jackson and the crumpled flower stem in his hand. The kids made it clear that they wanted to have something for Bella when I had stopped to pick up flowers for her, so I gave them each a flower from the bouquet.

Jackson's hold on my hand loosened, causing mine to immediately tighten, a second before he started screaming, "Mama, mama, mama!"

When I looked up and saw a beaming Bella coming towards us, I scooped him up and started off toward my wife, dragging an excited three-year-old along with me.

Her arms were around the three of us as soon as we were within her reach.

"I missed you all, so much!" she said. I could hear the tears in her voice.

She took Jackson from my arms once he had latched onto her neck. His little face was peppered with kisses as he laughed.

Stooping down, she gave Alexis a big hug while Jackson was still attached to her.

"I'm glad you're home, mommy," Alexis said as she handed Bella the flower.

"So am I, baby. Is this for me?"

Alexis nodded and gave Bella a grin that I recognized. It was like looking in a mirror. She had Bella's hair, but the green eyes and crooked smile definitely came from me.

Jackson shoved his broken flower at Bella, who laughed and thanked him with more kisses. There was no denying that boy was mine. Not only would he do anything for kisses from Bella, but he was the spitting image of my baby pictures—right down to the uncontrollable hair.

Finally, I got my arms around my wife. "Missed you, sweetheart," I said quietly as I cupped her face. I pulled her in for a chaste kiss which quickly escalated, having not seen her for over two weeks. I hummed in appreciation until we were interrupted by Alexis.

"Ew, daddy!"

Ah, the joys of having children.

Bella pulled away with a bright smile on her face and winked at me. "Let's go get my luggage so we can go home."

The car ride was quiet thanks to the late hour. Jackson nodded off as soon as we hit the interstate, and Alexis wasn't too far behind him. My hand didn't leave Bella's thigh the entire drive.

As soon as the car was in the garage of our house of four years, we quickly scrambled out and each grabbed a sleeping child. I unlocked the door to the house with Alexis' head perched on my shoulder and carefully took her to her room while Bella took care of Jackson. Alexis didn't even stir as I removed her dress and stockings, or when I placed her nightgown over her head. I tucked her into bed with a kiss to her forehead.

"Goodnight, princess. I love you." I closed the door quietly and made my way to the master bedroom, where Bella was already waiting.

"Do you need anything from the car?" I asked her.

She shook her head with a sly smile. "No, I just need you."

"You read my mind," I told her just before our lips crashed together and our bodies entwined.

It didn't take long for me to have my wife of five years naked and underneath me on the bed. I kissed and sucked on her body like a starving man with a piece of steak. When I made my way to her wet center, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

"Fuck, you taste good," I groaned against her skin.

She hummed as I went to work, lapping up her juices before sucking her clit into my mouth. Only a few minutes later, she was tugging on my hair as her body shook with release.

I quickly sat back on my heels and pulled her hips over my thighs, sheathing myself in her heat in one swift movement. She let out a groan of pleasure while I hissed at the contact I had missed so much.

"This is gonna be fast, baby," I warned her as I began slamming into her.

"Yes!" she screamed. "Oh god, Edward … I'm never going away without you again."

I kept up the brisk movements, feeling my release approaching rapidly. "Never again, baby," I ground out. "I can't be away from you again."

Her walls were fluttering around me as she moaned long and low. I kept up the pace of my thrusts, trying to hold off my release knowing she was close. There was nothing like the feeling of cuming together. "Let go, baby," I told her quietly, and it was enough to send her over the edge, with me following right behind.

I collapsed on top of her and we were both silent until I caught my breath.

"We will never have another lonely night."

She smiled widely at me, peppering my face with kisses. "I love you so much, Edward."

"I love you too, Bella. You and the kids … you mean everything to me."

"Well," she started, with her fingers in my hair just the way I liked. "I'm pretty sure no matter what, our nights won't be lonely for quite some time."

"What do you mean?" I asked with my brows furrowed.

Her eyes drifted down before returning to my face. "When you came to visit me in Oregon a few weeks ago, you left a present behind."

I racked my brain to figure out what she was talking about when she shifted us onto our sides. She took my hand and placed it onto her stomach.

My eyes grew wide, and my smile wider. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"God, I love you. And you," I said as I moved down so I could kiss her stomach. After covering every inch of her abdomen, I continued to talk to it just as I had with both of our other children. "You're going to have a great life. Your big sister, Alexis, is just like a little mommy. And I'm sure Jackson will love to have someone smaller than him hanging around. But, Mommy and Daddy are so happy you're going to come into our lives. We love you so much already."

I rested my head against her belly with a smile, happy beyond belief about the life I had with my wife, the life I shared with Alexis and Jackson, and the life we created snuggled safely inside of Bella.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you all for taking this journey with me. It has been a wonderful learning experience for me, and tons of fun. I hope you all enjoyed it. I'm a little sad to be hitting the "complete" button. Please leave me one final review … it would really make my day.**

**And, don't forget I'm on Facebook (Kitchmill Fanfic) and Twitter (at kitchmillfanfic). I frequently post story recommendations and pictures of Rob, plus you'll get the inside scoop on my new stories.**


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